Kunitskaya, the former Invicta FC bantamweight champion, opened as an overwhelming betting underdog Thursday ahead of her makeshift main event against UFC women’s featherweight champion Cris Cyborg on March 3 at UFC 222. Kunitskaya, a 28-year-old Russian fighter who is making her Octagon debut, opened as a 6-to-1 underdog against Cyborg, per Bovada oddsmakers, while the Brazilian opened as a monstrous 10-to-1 betting favorite to defeat Kunitskaya and retain her UFC title.
The short-notice fight was announced Wednesday as a means to save UFC 222, a pay-per-view that was thrust into disarray due to the withdrawal of UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway.