The fate of the lightweight title hangs in the balance when former champion Charles Oliveira battles Islam Makhachev in the main event of UFC 280 on Saturday in Abu Dhabi. Read on for our Oliveira-Makhachev picks and predictions.
Authoring quite possibly the greatest career turnaround in MMA history, Oliviera transformed himself from a talented, but middling lightweight into the best 155-pounder on the planet. He's also one of the greatest finishers in UFC history.
Even after being stripped of the title prior to UFC 274 after a weigh-in fiasco, “Do Bronx '' shook off the controversy, surviving, Justin Gaethje's terrifying power before unleashing some hellfire of his own. Oliveira floored Gaethje with a thundering right hand before violently polishing him off with a rear-naked choke just over the midway point of the opening stanza.
Seen as the eventual heir apparent to Khabib Nurmagomedov's abdicated throne, Makhachev carved a violent path through the division. He has racked up 10 straight wins, with the latest coming against Bobby Green in February. Makhachev ran roughshod over Green, quickly dragging the bout to the floor and raining down heavy ground and pound until the bout was mercifully waved off at 3:23 of the opening round.