When Charles Oliveira and Islam Makhachev compete for the lightweight championship at UFC 280, a new champion for the organisation will be crowned.
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The two lightweights square off for the vacant 155-pound title at UFC 280 on Oct. 22 live on ESPN+ PPV in Abu Dhabi, which will be Charles Oliveira vs Islam Makhachev. The opponent for the no. 1 contendor was revealed during today’s UFC Long Island on ABC broadcast.
Oliveira, 32, has won his previous 11 excursions to the Octagon and has been a man on a mission for the past four years. “Do Bronx” recently defeated Justin Gaethje via brilliant submission at UFC 274, however his lightweight championship was revoked since he failed to make weight for the title battle. While many still see of Oliveira as the division’s champion, he must defeat Makhachev to reclaim the title formally.
The 30-year-old Makhachev has won his previous 10 fights. The advancing Dagestani fighter has appeared virtually unstoppable inside the Octagon, following the example of comrade and ex UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. Despite not being the most skilled striker in the category, Makhachev does bring a special combination of pressure, grappling, and wrestling that has left some of the hardest lightweight fighters gasping for breath.
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When Charles Oliveira and Islam Makhachev compete for the lightweight championship at UFC 280, a new champion for the organisation will be crowned. The promotion said on Saturday that the bout will take place on October 22 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Since making his UFC debut, Dagestani grappler Makhachev has been demanding a championship match after collecting a string of excellent victories.
The most recent champion of the division is Oliveira, who won it at UFC 262 after defeating Michael Chandler. He missed weight by 0.5 pounds and was stripped of the championship before what was to be his second defence against Justin Gaethje in May, leaving the belt vacant once more. The Brazilian eventually submitted Gaethje in the opening round to establish himself as the top contender and have the chance to reclaim the belt.
After winning 10 straight bouts, Makhachev, the No. 4-ranked fighter and a protégé of UFC Hall-of-Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov, will finally get a shot at UFC gold. The Russian wrestler has a 22-1 career record and is coming off a TKO victory against Bobby Green in February. In the UFC octagon, Makhachev and Oliveira will have the opportunity to put an end to their ongoing argument.
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