Islam Makhachev and Charles Oliveira
The odd makers have given Islam Makhachev a slight edge over Charles Oliveira in their upcoming battle at UFC 280 in Abu Dhabi
Talks of a potential undisputed UFC lightweight championship fight between Charles Oliveira and Islam Makhachev were growing vehement by the day. Islam Makhachev’s best friend/ training partner, and arguably the greatest lightweight fighter of all time, Khabib Nurmagomedov had even offered a bold prediction for the fight. He even expressed the willingness of the Dagestani camp to fight in Brazil in enemy territory, and take the belt to Russia. But the UFC has laid rest to all narratives, and the final denouement will be played out when these top-ranked lightweights clash at UFC 280 in Abu Dhabi.
Charles Oliveira is the true embodiment of what a switch in mindset can do to your career. With 16 submission and 19 finishes, Oliveira has the record for being the most dangerous finisher inside the octagon, but ‘Do Bronx’ wasn’t always this threatening. Many have voiced that two or three more victories would cement Charles Oliveira as the true lightweight ‘GOAT’, by dethroning Khabib Nurmagomedov. Both fighters have a humdinger and unprecedented legacy, but it is noteworthy to mention that Charles Oliveira has beaten Khabib’s opponents quicker and faster than him.
Makhachev on the other hand is riding on an impressive 10-fight win streak of his own. The Dagestani, for no fault of his has however not fought elite competition in the UFC, owing to fighters dodging him. But he has finally landed a worthy opponent, and an opportunity to lay his hands on the coveted UFC gold.
Odds makers were quick to pounce on the news, and started speculating about the outcome of the fight. To everyone’s surprise, the former champion Charles Oliveira has opened as an underdog, while Makhachev has emerged as a betting favorite. The odds were released by Betonline, and posted by Chamatkar Sandhu on Twitter.
Here are the opening odds for Charles Oliveira vs. Islam Makhachev:
Charles Oliveira +215 (43/20)
Islam Makhachev -255 (20/51)
(odds via@betonline_ag) 🏆 #UFC280
The question that has been rattling grappling die-hards for the longest time is ‘Sambo vs Jiu-jitsu – which form is most efficient?’ The opportunity to settle this question once and for all lies in a fight that UFC commentator Joe Rogan is pushing hard for Dana White to set up- Charles Oliveira vs Islam Makhachev.
Islam Makhachev is the dark horse of the lightweight division with a nine-fight win streak. Although he does not possess the finish rate that Charles does, he still remains dominant in his fights, and maintains composure of the highest degree, something which will come in handy if he faces the Brazilian.
UFC president Dana White was miffed that Makhachev refused to step in as a last-minute replacement to face Rafael Dos Anjos, and wants to book his originally scheduled fight against Beneil Dariush again. Oliveira on the other hand has been calling out for a fight against Conor Macgregor or Nate Diaz, completely snubbing Makhachev claiming that he hasn’t fought the best in the division.
Makhachev sat down with ESPN correspondent Brett Okamoto, and discussed about his future plans, Oliveira’s streak, and how he has had a hard time finding fights with guys ducking him. Okamoto brought up an interesting question asking Makhachev how many times would Charles submit him if they fought a hundred times. Makhachev replied by saying, ‘Hey brother, honestly I’ve grappled with many black belts, very high level jiu-jitsu guys, but I can’t remember the last time when somebody give me submission. I’ve grappled with ADCC champions, I don’t wanna name them, but they know my grappling skills. And this people know Oliveira can never submit me’
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