“I’m going to his home, where they wanted the fight, where they think they will beat me. I know I’m the biggest problem of this division."
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The battle between Charles Oliveira and Islam Makhachev is scheduled, and Oliveira has something to give his opponent. The undisputed lightweight champion will try to reclaim the 155-pound title when he competes against the Russian fighter in the main event of UFC 280 in Abu Dhabi on Oct. 22. The Russian fighter, “do Bronx,” wants to make things simpler for Makhachev by starting the fight on his back.
Oliveira said on this week’s episode of MMA Fighting podcast Trocação Franca, “I’m going to his home, where they wanted the fight, where they think they will beat me. I know I’m the biggest problem of this division. No one’s dumb, right? Every guy Islam fought was a striker and he took them down, and I went toe to toe with every guy I fought and only took them down to make things happen after I hurt them on the feet. Islam is fighting the worst problem of the division, Charles Oliveira.
“Want to start the fight on the ground? I’ll start playing guard. It won’t make any difference to me. Again, I’m telling everyone this, I’m the division’s biggest problem and you’re not understanding. I don’t care who it is and when it is. If you want to trade on the feet, come for it, I have firepower in my hands. If you want to take me down, do it.”
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Oliveira’s 11-fight winning run includes victories over Dustin Poirier, Michael Chandler, Tony Ferguson, and Kevin Lee. He was robbed of the UFC championship after defeating Justin Gaethje in May. In the octagon, Makhachev has defeated opponents like Bobby Green, Dan Hooker, Thiago Moises, Drew Dober, and Arman Tsarukyan in his previous 10 fights. The Chute Boxe representative respects Makhachev’s athletic abilities and does not regard him as an easy opponent. However, “do Bronx” believes that his fighting technique makes him a poor opponent.
Oliveira said, “When you’re fighting someone that will only take you down, you have to train what you do best. People don’t get it, I don’t know if they’re stupid or dumb. Islam has some striking, but he takes everybody down. Every guy he’s fought are strikers who were afraid of getting taken down. I’m not afraid of getting taken down. Islam has a lot to worry about what he’s going to do. I have no weight over me, nothing. I’m 100 percent at what he does best. I have the record for most submissions in [UFC] history and I have firepower in my hands.
“You want peace? We want twice of it. You want war? War is coming, it’s on October] 22. … I’m ready. I’ll win this guy. Listen to me, I’ll leave a gigantic legacy. I get near the big names of the sport and they feel bothered. Why is that? I haven’t done anything. The reality is they see how much I’m evolving. That’s the reality. The way I talk has changed, the way I get dressed has changed, the way I arrive has changed. Everything has changed.”
Stephen Thompson declines the quick turnaround fight and wants Usman next.
