Charles Oliveira vs Islam Makhachev vacant lightweight title fight targeted for UFC 280
The Ultimate Fighting Championship returns to Fight Island this fall to host UFC 280.
UFC 280 is to go down on October 22, 2022, live from the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.
There have been just two bouts added to the card thus far, the first one coming in the welterweight division between a pair of ranked welterweights in Belal Muhammad and Sean Brady.
The other bout that’s just been added is one we’ve all been waiting for, a vacant UFC lightweight championship bout between former UFC lightweight champion Charles ‘Do Bronx’ Oliveira and no. 4 ranked Islam Makhachev.
This is such an important fight for the lightweight division, it’s very exciting to hear it’s finally been signed.
Oliveira has put together one of the most impressive runs in this sports history over the last several years, and Makhachev’s win streak is right up there with his.
Following defeat to Paul Felder back in December of 2017, Oliveira has since won his last 11-straight fights.
And, following defeat to Adriano Martins in October of 2015, the only defeat of his entire career, Makhachev has since won his last 10-straight. This is the Khabib vs Tony fight we never got.
Remember in 2020 when those two were scheduled to face one another, being the fifth time they were matched up? Each man was coming in on a 12-fight win streak. We have that, and the contrast of styles is very similar as well.
Oliveira is one of, if not the most dangerous fighter in the entire sport right now. 10 of those 11 latest wins came via finish, the only man making it to the distance being former interim champion Tony Ferguson.
With five more seconds left in that first round, ‘Do Bronx’ would’ve finished him as well.
Then we have Makhachev, who doesn’t have too many ranked opponents on his resume, but has ran straight through everyone he’s fought. Contenders don’t want to fight him, just like a rising Khabib Nurmagomedov, in fear of losing their spot in the rankings.
If there’s one critique fans could have had about Makhachev in the past, it’s that he wasn’t much of a finisher.
Well, coming into this fight, he’s finished his last four-straight opponents.
We have just three months to wait until this fight goes down!
Who walks away from UFC 280 as the UFC lightweight champion, Charles Oliveira or Islam Makhachev?
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