A vacant UFC lightweight title fight between former undisputed division champion, the #1 ranked contender, Charles Oliveira, and the #4 rated challenger, Islam Makhachev is slated to take main event honors at UFC 280 on October 22. from the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
Charles Oliveira, the promotion’s most recent undisputed lightweight champion, headlined UFC 274 back in May, submitting former interim divisio champion, Justin Gaethje with a first round rear-naked choke.
Oliveira entered fight week as the undisputed lightweight titleholder, however, was stripped of the crown after he tipped the lightweight scales by half a pound ahead of the Phoenix, Arizona event.
Charles Oliveira has long been rumored to clash with Islam Makhachev next
As for Makhachev, the American Kickboxing Academy staple headlined a UFC Apex facility event back in February against short notice replacement, veteran San Bernardino native, Bobby Green – stopping the Californian with a slew of opening round ground strikes. The promotion confirmed Oliveira’s main event title fight against Makhachev during the official broadcast of UFC Long Island.
The fight you’ve all been asking for
@CharlesDoBronxs vs @MakhachevMMA is set for the LW title
[ #UFC280 | @VisitAbuDhabi | @InAbuDhabi | #InAbuDhabi ] pic.twitter.com/GhqjbwZ0LM
— UFC (@ufc) July 16, 2022
Winning the vacant lightweight crown back in May of last year, Charles Oliveira, the promotion’s most prolific submission artist, stopped one-time title challenger, Michael Chandler with a second round knockout win.
Scoring a sole successful title defense in his reign as champion, the Sao Paulo finisher stopped former interim lightweight titleholder, Dustin Poirier with a third round standing rear-naked choke in the third round of their December UFC 269 main event.
In the midst of a division-best 11-fight winning run, Oliveira added Gaethje to a run of victories since his ascension to the top of the lightweight pile.
Touted for eventual gold under the promotion’s banner, Makhachev enjoyed a splendid 2021 calendar in the Octagon, submitting the trio of Drew Dober, Thiago Moises, and Dan Hooker.
The most prolific finisher in Octagon antiquity, Oliveira holds 19 finishes during his tenure with the UFC, and has managed to latch onto a whopping 16 separate submission wins.