Tyron Woodley
Tyron Woodley is no longer the betting favorite against Darren Till. In this picture, Woodley poses on the scale during the UFC 214 weigh-in at Honda Center in Anaheim, California, July 28, 2017. Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images

The betting odds for the UFC 228 main event between welterweight champion Tyron Woodley and Darren Till have dramatically changed with just days to go for the event.

Woodley (17-3-1) will be looking for a fourth successive title defense when he takes on the undefeated Till (17-0-1) at the American Airlines Center in Dallas on Sept. 8.

When the fight was first announced, it was Woodley who was the initial early betting favorite at -165 while Till was a +135 underdog as per MMAOddsBreaker. Nick Kalikas of MMAOddsBreaker.com explained the reasoning below:

"This is a modern day wrestler vs. a striker matchup. Woodley has added some power striking to his wrestling, while Till is an unorthodox and physically imposing striker. As much as Woodley has improved his striking, his best path to victory is to utilize his wrestling and try to take this fight to the canvas. Till will want to keep this fight upright and land powerful combinations. Till is a younger, hungry southpaw, but Woodley has faced dangerous strikers already and is more proven and experienced. As long as Woodley is healthy, he deserves to be the favorite.”

However, that is no longer the case as a number of oddsmakers such as Bet365, SkyBet, William Hill, Betfair and more now have it as a pick 'em, with no betting favorite in the title fight. Bet365 notably has both fighters at -110.

So what is the possible reason for these odds changes?

One reason could be the momentum that Till is generating. As the fight is nearing, the 25-year-old Englishman is doing a lot of press work and interviews, further highlighting his confidence that he's not only the best welterweight in the world, but the best fighter in the UFC period.

In addition, he's also started his own YouTube channel and is uploading documentary-like footage of the buildup to his fight, as he gets fans closer to him and his preparation.

While Till's striking is not on the exact same level as Stephen Thompson, who Woodley was only able to get through twice via split decision, he certainly is a bigger fighter with more knockout power. And so, it's possible that these factors have contributed to bettors placing their confidence in Till which has affected the odds.

However, Woodley is not to be underestimated despite these odds changes. Given the matchup and his all-round ability, he is still likely to be Till's toughest opponent despite the size difference.

"Who’s the fastest welterweight in the division? Who’s the most powerful welterweight in the division? Who’s the most experienced welterweight in the division?" Woodley said at a recent media lunch last week. "So what advantages do you have, because you’re 24 years old, that I don’t have?"

"It’s not the first young, undefeated fighter that I’ve fought. Kelvin Gastelum was that guy, too, right? He had what it took: 'Oh, he’s young, he can wrestle, blah blah blah.' So I’m right back in the same position. It’s so funny that I consistently end up in this same position, that the people that I’m facing are the ones that they’re looking so far ahead. So, once again, I’ll be the spoiler. I’ll mess up the plans, and I’ll continue to be the world champion," he said.

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