Renan Barao has been the bantamweight division's temporary titleholder since defeating Urijah Faber in July 2012. But now, he can finally shed himself of the "interim" title, after Dominick Cruz vacated the strap in the wake of an unfortunate groin injury (details).
The Brazilian will move on to rematch "The California Kid" at UFC 169, which will air on pay-per-view (PPV) from the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, on Feb. 1, 2014. Faber, by contrast, has failed to grab hold of a UFC belt during his tenure with the promotion since its merger with World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) back in 2010.
The bookies have taken this into account and according to Best Fight Odds, the 31-1 champion retains the title of "favorite."
"As of today at overseas betting site "sportsbook.ag," Barao has opened as a (-300) favorite against Faber, who in turn gets the "underdog" rate of (+240). Simply put, for every $300 wagered on the bantamweight champ, you would earn $100. While a $100 bet on "The California Kid" would pocket you an extra $240."
For you risque folk, a bet on the Team Alpha Male captain -- who went 4-0 in 2013 -- shouldn't cause you to lose much sleep; because if there was ever a time for Faber to upset the apple cart, that time is now.
But a wager on the man who hasn't lost since 2005 isn't completely ridiculous, either, you just need to have enough money in the bank to make it worth your while.