Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) returns later TODAY (Sat., Oct. 22, 2022) to stage UFC 280 live from inside Etihad Arena on “Fight Island” in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Headlining the pay-per-view (PPV) event is a highly-anticipated Lightweight title fight that will see former champion, Charles Oliveira, take on Islam Makhachev for the vacant belt. In the co-headlining act, Aljamain Sterling will defend his Bantamweight title against former division king, T.J. Dillashaw. If that weren’t enough, Petr Yan will battle Sean O’Malley in a crucial fight at 135 pounds.
What’s Hot:
It’s been a minute since a title fight in the Lightweight division meant so much. Much of the talk since Khabib Nurmagomedov retired has to do with people defending him as the greatest fighter ever to compete at 155 pounds after walking away with a mint record (29-0 — 13-0 in UFC) and three title defenses. But, after Oliveira won 11 straight, hoisted the title by defeating Michael Chandler and then defended against Dustin Poirier, people started making a case for “Do Bronx” as the G.O.A.T. Sure, he had a hiccup on the scale prior to his fight against Justin Gaethje and ultimately stripped of his title, but he went on to submit “Highlight” in what should have been his second title defense. Nevertheless, Oliveira now has the chance to win his belt back while taking out a man many have dubbed the future of the division.
Speaking of Makhachev, he adds another crucial element to this fight because he trains directly under Khabib — the man who anointed him as a future champion at 155 pounds — who may end up having a better career than him when it is all said and done. Other than his knockout loss to Adriano Martins seven years ago, Makhachev has been on a tear, racking up an 11-1 record, including winning nine in a row in rather dominant fashion. But, make no mistake about it, Oliveira will be his toughest test to date because not only does the Brazilian bomber have championship experience, but he, too, is firing on all cylinders and has looked unstoppable as of late.
It’s a great stylistic match up because Oliveira clearly does his best on the ground, but I would still give him an advantage on the feet here. Makhachev isn’t necessarily a great striker, but he does possess some skills in that department, though his bread and butter is grappling. Once Makhachev closes the distance his foes can expect to take a ride down to the canvas and be smothered for the majority of the fight. The problem against Oliveira is that he wants to take the action to the floor to grab a hold of any limb available to him to twist his opponents like pretzels. That is what makes this fight so intriguing, you really cannot predict how this one will play out. The other added twist is that some feel if Oliveira takes out Makhachev, it could prompt Nurmagomedov to end his retirement to seek revenge.
What’s Not:
There really isn’t much to complain about here. This is the most stacked card on 2022, and possibly in the last couple of years. There are so many intriguing fights taking place at this event that you would be hard-pressed to find someone to complain about it.
Original Card Vs. Actual Card:
Marina Rodriguez was set to face off against Amanda Lemos, but it was ultimately shifted to a “Fight Night” card on Nov. 5, 2022. Slim Trabelsi was in line to make his UFC debut against Parker Porter, but the fight was canceled after Porter ran into some contractual issues with ARES FC. Also, a fight between Zubaira Tukhugov and Lucas Almeida was scrapped after Almeida struggled to make weight.
Injuries:
Jamie Mullarkey was forced out of his fight against Magomed Mustaev as a result of an undisclosed injury. Mustaev was then booked to face off against Yamato Nishikawa, but that fight was also pulled after Nishikawa encountered some contractual issues with his former employer.
New Blood:
No new comers slated for this event after a last-minute scratch (details here).
How The ‘Prelims’ Look:
Headlining the undercard is a pivotal Welterweight bout as Sean Brady battles Belal Muhammad, who currently sits at No. 5. Brady, on the other hand, is at No. 8 and a win could put him into the Top 5. Brady has been on a roll, winning his first five fights inside the Octagon to improve his record to 15-0. Muhammad is 7-0-1 in his last eight fights, so a win could inch him closer to his first-ever shot at the title.
Caio Borralho has impressed in just two fights with UFC, and now he is looking to jump to 3-0 when he battles Makhmud Muradov, who is coming off a loss to Gerald Meerschaert. A win over Borralho helps him move forward and erase the memory of that tough loss.
Nikita Krylov is coming off a first-round drubbing of Alexander Gustafsson this past summer, snapping his two-fight skid. He will take on Volkan Oezdemir, who also snapped his own two-fight losing streak by defeating Paul Craig in July.
Abubakar Nurmagomedov will make his return to action more than one year removed from his UFC debut to take on Gadzhi Omargadzhiev in a 170-pound bout. Nurmagomedov is 2-2-1 in his last five fights, so being a bit more consistent with the wins will help boost his career. Omargadzhiev is hungry to get back in the win column after he suffered the first loss of his career against the aforementioned Caio Borralho.
In the Middleweight division, Armen Petrosyan will face A.J. Dobson, who suffered the first loss of his career against Jacob Malkoun at UFC 271 earlier this year. Dobson has shown promise, but his first defeat slowed his momentum, especially since it was his UFC debut.
Who Needs A Win Badly:
The only fighter coming in with a losing streak is Lina Lansberg, who has dropped two straight with her last win coming three years ago. She is just 2-3 in her last five fights, so if she suffers her third straight loss it could be the end of the road for her inside the Octagon.
Interest Level: 9.5/10
Aside from the exciting main event, the co-headlining title fight offers a lot of intrigue, as well. Champion, Aljamain Sterling, finally put Petr Yan in his rear-view mirror (at least for now) and will now shift his focus on T.J. Dillashaw, who is out to reclaim a title that was once his. Dillashaw has the striking advantage here as where Sterling gets the nod if it goes to the ground. Dillashaw returned from a two-year suspension to defeat Cory Sandhagen in a close split decision many felt should have gone the other way. Still, “Viper” can silence the haters and naysayers if he can dethrone “Funkmaster.” For Sterling, it’s his chance to lock down his second title defense.
Two men who will be fighting for the potential chance to face the winner of Sterling vs. Dillashaw will collide on the main card as former champion, Petr Yan, will take on Sean O’Malley. More than a few eyebrows were raised when this fight was announced since Yan is ranked No. 1, while O’Malley sits at No. 12. But, it is what it is because everyone was bashing O’Malley for not taking on the cream of the crop, now he gets to face off against a former champion who has the top ranking spot. If O’Malley wins here, there is no telling if UFC really gives him a title shot, but Yan surely locks his down.
It will be an interesting match up (full preview here).
In further Lightweight action, the forgotten man at 155 pounds, Beneil Dariush will face rising star, Mateusz Gamrot, who is 4-1 inside the Octagon. Dariush was in line to face Makhachev earlier this year, but after a few adjustments, the fight was scrapped and the two men went in different directions, matchup-wise. Still, Dariush has a chance to prove he is one of the elite fighters in the division, while making a case for his title shot.
Starting off the main card will be a women’s Flyweight bout between Katlyn Chookagian and Manon Fiorot. Chookagian is currently ranked No. 1 in the division, while Fiorot is sitting at No 7, which means she could be closer to a title shot with a win. Or, the winner could very take part in a title eliminator bout against Alexa Grasso.
Enjoy the fights!
Full UFC 280 Fight Card:
UFC 280 PPV Main Event On ESPN+:
155 lbs.: Charles Oliveira vs. Islam Makhachev for vacant Lightweight title
UFC 280 PPV Co-Main Event On ESPN+:
135 lbs.: UFC Bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling vs. T.J. Dillashaw
UFC 280 PPV Main Card On ESPN+:
135 lbs.: Petr Yan vs. Sean O’Malley
155 lbs.: Beneil Dariush vs. Mateusz Gamrot
125 lbs.: Katlyn Chookagian vs. Manon Fiorot
UFC 280 Late ‘Prelims’ Under Card On ESPNEWS/ESPN+:
170 lbs.: Sean Brady vs. Belal Muhammad
185 lbs.: Caio Borralho vs. Makhmud Muradov
205 lbs.: Nikita Krylov vs. Volkan Oezdemir
125 lbs.: Muhammad Mokaev vs. Malcolm Gordon
UFC 280 Early ‘Prelims’ Under Card On ESPNEWS/ESPN+:
145 lbs.:Lucas Almeidavs.Zubaira Tukhugov— CANCELED (details here)170 lbs.:Magomed Mustafaevvs. Yamato Nishikawa— CANCELED (details here)
170 lbs.: Abubakar Nurmagomedov vs. Gadzhi Omargadzhiev
185 lbs.: Armen Petrosyan vs. A.J. Dobson
135 lbs.: Karol Rosa vs. Lina Lansberg
*Fight card, bout order and number of fights remain subject to change.*
MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 280 fight card RIGHT HERE, starting with the early ESPN+ “Prelims” matches at 10:30 a.m. ET, followed by the remaining undercard balance on ESPN+/ESPNews at 12 p.m. ET, before the PPV main card start time at 2 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
To check out the latest and greatest UFC 280: “Oliveira vs. Makhachev” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here. For the complete UFC 280 fight card and PPV line up click here.