UFC Fight Night 266 Preview, Prediction: Michal Oleksiejczuk vs. Marc-Andre Barriault
UFC Fight Night 266 is the next event in the UFC and is scheduled for this weekend. This event will consist of 13 total fights, including a UFC middleweight fight on the main card between Michal Oleksiejczuk and Marc-Andre Barriault.
UFC Fight Night 266 will get underway on Saturday, February 7 at the Meta APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada. The fights will begin at 5 p.m. ET with a seven-fight preliminary card, which will be followed by a six-fight main card starting at 8 p.m. ET. UFC Fight Night 266 will be available to stream on Paramount+.
Michal Oleksiejczuk vs. Marc-Andre Barriault Odds and Betting Trends
The current MMA odds for this main-card fight are certainly one-sided, as Oleksiejczuk is a significant favourite with odds of -500. If you want to bet on a massive upset, Barriault is the overwhelming underdog at odds of +360.
Additional betting markets strongly suggest that this fight will end inside the distance -525, as opposed to going the distance – listed at +325 – and ending with a judges’ decision.
More specifically, Oleksiejczuk is heavily favoured to win by KO/TKO or submission at -235, while oddsmakers expect the fight to end in round one given the -400 odds. Oleksiejczuk winning in round one is a likely outcome, with odds of -120.
Michal Oleksiejczuk
Oleksiejczuk enters this fight with an MMA record of 21-9 and 9-7 in the UFC. His most recent fight was a win against Gerald Meerschaert by KO/TKO back in August 2025. Oleksiejczuk has been in the UFC for some time now and has established himself as a somewhat-balanced fighter. He averages 5.34 significant strikes per minute and 1.02 takedowns every 15 minutes.
Despite being a UFC veteran, Oleksiejczuk has been inconsistent recently. He is 2-3 over his last five UFC fights, but has won back-to-back fights for the first time since the end of 2022.
Marc-Andre Barriault
Barriault enters this fight with an MMA record of 17-10, though he’s just 6-9 in the UFC. His most recent UFC fight was against Shara Magomedov back in July 2025, a fight he lost by unanimous decision.
Unlike Oleksiejczuk, Barriault is more of a one-dimensional fighter. He averages 5.70 significant strikes per minute, but only 0.37 takedowns every 15 minutes.
It is fair to say that Barriault is in poor form, having won just one of his last five UFC fights. Further, his losing record in the UFC suggests that he could be nearing the end of his career.
UFC Fight Night 266 Prediction: Who Will Win Michal Oleksiejczuk vs. Marc-Andre Barriault?
Given that Oleksiejczuk is a monster favourite, the best way to bet this fight looks to be targeting the round in which Oleksiejczuk will win. Oleksiejczuk has won eight of his nine UFC fights in the first round, which includes each of his last two.
Further, Barriault has lost a total of three times in the first round, which includes two of his last four UFC fights. While neither fighter is in the best form, Oleksiejczuk has still shown more power overall, so I trust that he can finish this fight early.
