Makhachev will fight for the belt with a real monster. Khabib had no such rivals
It is possible that Oliveira will remove Islam from the path and force Nurmagomedov to return.
Islam Makhachev has won the right to fight for the lightweight title – on October 22, he will fight Charles Oliveira at UFC 280 in Abu Dhabi. The Russian and Brazilian fighters will fight for the vacant belt – before the fight with Justin Gaethje, he did not make weight and lost the title of champion.
But the 200 grams that took Charles out of the belt doesn’t make him a bad fighter – Oliveira is still an incredibly dangerous and experienced opponent. The Brazilian will be a giant leap in opposition for Makhachev, whose biggest test so far has been Dan Hooker.
Oliveira is not only good in words – numerous records speak for him. Charles is only 32 years old, and he has more achievements than most veterans. Thanks to his high skill in jiu-jitsu, he holds the record for finishes in UFC history (19) and for bonuses (18), where he shares the first place with Donald Cerrone. But the American left the sport, so it is possible that the Brazilian will soon become the sole leader. And for the performance of the evening, Charles already has the most bonuses – 12.
The same highest level of BJJ is proved by Oliveira’s records in submission victories. He is the best in the history of the promotion in wins by submissions (16). In addition, Charles maintains leadership in this indicator in both the lightweight (10) and featherweight (6) divisions.
Charles Oliveira
Photo: Getty Images
Many blame Oliveira for losing too many times, but the Brazilian has won so much that the ratio of wins and losses shuts the mouths of the haters. He has the second most wins in lightweight history (11) and fifth in UFC history (21).
Khabib has never faced such dangerous opponents. The Brazilian easily finished both Dustin Poirier and Justin Gati – he defeated Orel’s opponents no less confidently than Nurmagomedov himself. That is why the fight between Khabib and Charles is so interesting to the audience. And if the Brazilian still defeats Makhachev, it should not be ruled out that Khabib will return to remind who is in charge in the lightweight division.
