Islam Makhachev fears that Charles Oliveira may not show up for the pair's UFC lightweight title fight after leaving his arrival in Abu Dhabi late.
For all intents and purposes, Oliveira is defending his belt for the third time against Makhachev at UFC 280. However, the bout is technically for a vacant belt after the Brazilian was stripped after missing weight for his last defence against Justin Gaethje, which he won in dominant fashion within one round.
But the Russian fears that his rival won't make it to the octagon this time, after his teammate and close friend Khabib Nurmagomedov initially theorised that the bout would be cancelled. He is finally getting his shot at UFC gold after 22 wins, including 11 in the promotion, which is the No.1 in the world.
Sharing a photo of an article detailing how Oliveira had planned to arrive in Abu Dhabi to prepare for the fight 20 days early, he noted that the pair are now within just two weeks of their October 22 date. "Two weeks before the fight," he tweeted. "Charles and his team not in Abu Dhabi yet. Should I start worry?"
Oliveira has not opted to respond directly to Makhachev's tweet, but did share a photo indicating that he was boarding a plane to Abu Dhabi. This would give him just under two weeks to adjust to the new timezone in Abu Dhabi, as well as the climate which is different to his native Brazil.
"This time I want to do something different," Oliveira told Ag.fight of his plans to show up early for the fight in an interview conducted back at the start of September. "I never wanted to come to the US so far in advance. But this time I am going there I think 20 days before the fight.
"If I'm not mistaken, 15 people from the team are going, so practically all my team. The people who help to do my camp, who help me, are going there this time. And I believe that's it. I think the most important thing is to get there and get your head straight."
What do you make of Islam Makhachev's latest claim about Charles Oliveira? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!
One man who has offered his services in the case of an Oliveira cancellation is the current featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski. The Australian is currently the UFC's top pound-for-pound fighter, and tweeted "Don’t worry brother, I’ll be there," alongside a winking emoji.
Nurmagomedov, the former lightweight champion who vacated the belt in October 2020 before Oliveira won it by beating Michael Chandler last year, was the first to theorise that the Brazilian would miss the fight. Fans accused his manager Ali Abdelaziz of writing the tweet that appeared out of character for the usually quiet Russian which claimed Oliveira would pull out.
"I just think Charles Oliveira will not show up in Abu Dhabi and the UFC will replace Charles with Beneil Dariush," he tweeted on September 16, three weeks prior to Makhachev's post. "Regardless of who the opponent will be, Islam Makhachev is on his way to becoming the best in the world."
