Vegas Is Treating UFC Champion Joshua Van Like A Contest Winner Against Manel Kape

Joshua Van just defended his flyweight belt against an all-time great on a compromised body, and the oddsmakers still think he is going to get flatlined in his next fight.

MMA Junkie just dropped the opening odds for the UFC 336 co-main event between Van and top contender Manel Kape. Despite holding the gold, Van is opening as the betting underdog.

"Daniel Cormier noted that Kape has the power to knock Van out."

Let us do some quick math on the disrespect here. Van just beat Alexandre Pantoja by unanimous decision at UFC 331 to defend his title. He pulled that off after suffering a major injury a month out that completely derailed his training camp.

You would think beating a division legend while physically compromised earns you the benefit of the doubt. Instead, the sportsbooks are treating the sitting champion like a guy who won a radio contest to get into the octagon.

To be fair to the oddsmakers, Kape is a terrifying problem to solve. He has been talking a massive game since UFC 331, promising to make the title fight look easy. Even Daniel Cormier is on the record warning that Kape has the pure power to knock the champion out cold.

We will see if the public moves the line as we get closer to fight night. Until then, Van gets to spend his entire training camp staring at a number that says his championship belt is just a temporary rental.