A look at where Charles Oliveira and Islam Makhachev stand ahead of their UFC 280 main event
The UFC has been without a lightweight champion since May. That’s when the promotion stripped Charles Oliveira of his 155-pound crown. The UFC’s actions came after Oliveira, who won the title at UFC 262 and defended the belt at UFC 269, checked in eight ounces over the 155-pound limit for his matchup opposite Justin Gaethje. Oliveira has the opportunity to regain that belt on Saturday when he faces Islam Makhachev for that vacant title in the main event of UFC 280.
Oliveira joined the UFC in 2010 with a 12-0 record. The then 20-year-old wasted no time in making his presence known. In that matchup, Oliveira submitted Darren Elkins in 41 seconds, earning his first of many submission wins, his first fight-night bonus and put his name in the UFC lightweight record book. More than 12 years later, Oliveira has added some incredible accomplishments to his resume, including winning and defending the UFC lightweight crown.
Makhachev first fought for the UFC in 2015. He joined the promotion with a 12-0 record. After a 1-1 start with the UFC, the protege of Khabib Nurmagomedov began to rack up win after win, rise in the official UFC lightweight rankings and establish himself as a hard to hit competitor with an incredibly heavy and controlling top game on the mat. At UFC 280. the 31-year-old gets his first crack at the title his coach, Nurmagomedov, held from April 2018 until he retired with a 29-0 record in October 2020.
Before Oliveira and Makhachev face off at the top of the UFC 280 pay-per-view card, we look at where the two fighters stand in the UFC record book heading into the event, which streams on ESPN+ pay-per-view following prelims on ESPNEWS.