Charles Oliveira has offered to start his fight with Islam Makhachev on his back as the pair prepare to duel at UFC 280.
Oliveira will look to become 155lb champion once again after he was stripped of his title earlier this year, when he failed to make weight for his title defence against Justin Gaethje. Standing in his way is talented rising star Makhachev who is the protege of retired former champion Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Makhachev has become known for his deadly wrestling at 155lb having submitted 45 per cent of his opponents during his MMA career. However Oliveira believes he remains the division's best fighter and has vowed to challenge anyone either on his feet or on the ground. “I’m going to his home, where they wanted the fight, where they think they will beat me,” Oliveira said on MMA Fighting's podcast Trocação Franca when assessing the contest.
“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.”
Oliveira r ecorded his latest submission victory over Gaethje earlier this year before calling out Conor McGregor who looked set to return later this year. However the Irishman's return looks set to be delayed which opened up the opportunity for Makhachev to state his claim for a title shot.
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The winner could have a number of options on the table including a challenge from featherweight champion Alex Volkanovski who is planning to make the switch up to 155lb. Makhachev was put forward by former king of the division Nurmagomedov who called for the shot immediately after Oliveira's victory.
And UFC legend Michael Bisping believes the Brazilian former champion must be at his "perfect" best to secure a victory and cement his name as the leading fighter in the weight class. "(Oliveira is) going to have to be careful,” Bisping said on his YouTube channel. If he wants to be the champ, if he wants to win this one and go home with another shiny belt against Islam Makhachev, he’s going to have to be perfect because Islam doesn’t make mistakes.
"He’s on a 10-fight win streak. How many decisions? One, two – four decisions in there: six stoppages, four decisions. So that’s a tremendous win streak, but it’s the way that (Makhachev) does them. He goes out there, and he’s almost perfect in his approach.”
