Charles Oliveira saw three versions of his opponent in the octagon before having eye surgery to fix his poor vision.
Oliveira, 33, will attempt to win back his lightweight title when he challenges Islam Makhachev in the main event of UFC 280 tonight. 'Do Bronx' would have been making the third defence of the title had he not missed weight by half a pound before his fight with Justin Gaethje in May, but many fans still recognise him as the champion heading into his clash with Makhachev.
The Brazilian's eyesight was only functioning at 50 per cent for many of his previous fights, including his title win against Michael Chandler last year and following defence against Dustin Poirier. Oliveira insists his eyes are now "100 per cent perfect" after undergoing surgery for his vision problems, but at its worst he saw three people standing across from him in the cage.
Who wins at UFC 280 - Charles Oliveira or Islam Makhachev? Let us know your prediction in the comments section below
"I see three [faces]. If I hit the middle one; that’s fine," Oliveira told the Flow podcast. "I think keep this same technique. Three guys for me is perfect. "I'll tell you the truth, I'm a guy who has a lot of faith in God and it's no joke. If I take my glasses off, I only see 50 per cent but it never hindered me in a fight. If I hit the one in the middle, it’s good.
"It never hindered me in a fight. Sometimes I walk in without the glasses, sometimes I like to walk in with glasses to look harmless and more nerdy than I already am. When I take my glasses off, it's normal, I can see my opponent on the other side. God blesses me so much that I can see normal. But on the streets, if I take them off, I'm blind." Fans noticed how bad Oliveira's vision was when a crowd member pinched his glasses after beating Poirier, as the Brazilian was unable to walk backstage without retrieving them.
Oliveira has insisted that Makhachev has only landed himself a title shot after beating one top-15 ranked opponent because UFC legend Khabib Nurmagomedov is his close friend and trainer. Makhachev is the betting favourite to win the belt Nurmagomedov once held for several years, but Oliveira thinks his rival has jumped the queue to fight for the title.
“I think he should’ve fought somebody maybe in the top-5 like I did, not just surf on someone else’s wave and skip the line like he did," Oliveira said.. "It’s for the history and everything he [Khabib] has done. If it was any other guy, [Makhachev] would have to walk the walk that I had to walk, knocking on people’s doors and trying to get to a top-5. The reason why this fight is happening is because of him."
