Can Makhachev Stop Oliveria from Regaining his Lightweight Belt in 2022?

Last month (May 2022), Charles “Do Bronx” Oliveria was stripped of his lightweight champion title on a technicality. He missed weight, making him ineligible to compete for retaining his title. Thus, he was given the opportunity to regain his title. Charles Oliveria has been considered the best lightweight fighter in the UFC for quite a while now, and many prospective fighters want a shot at the champ. Most prominent among them right now, is Islam Makhachev. The Dagestani fighter has made a number of statements, calling out the lightweight champion, which have only intensified in the past month.  

Makhachev’s Career Thus Far

Born in the Republic of Dagestan, Islam Makhachev began his martial arts career as a sambo fighter, before switching over to mixed martial arts. In 2016, he became the sambo world champion and in 2021 he was ranked #4 on the official UFC lightweight ranking. He is a huge draw when it comes to UFC matches, not just in terms of fans, but also when it comes to the online betting scene. His most recent endeavor has seen Makhachev continuously challenge the current lightweight number 1, Charles Oliveria. Certainly, many fans and followers of the sport are excited at this development, and are hoping for a bout to happen in the near future. The question, however, is whether Makhachev can compete against “Du Bronx”.

Can He Compete with Oliveria? 

Islam himself is certain that he can beat the Brazilian fighter. He has made several boastful claims. One of the most notable of these claims came just last month, when Mr. Makhachev claimed he would come to Brazil and drag the belt out of Oliveria’s hands. 

For his part, Mr. Oliveria has not had a very positive response about the fight. He has dodged questions regarding it and has attempted to dismiss any claims that the fight is official. Many believe that Oliveria is unwilling to go against Makhachev. Some argue it might be a stunt to get even more people interested in the event. Whatever the case may be, rumors of the fight are becoming more and more widespread, and proponents of the bout are all the more vocal. 

It seems that Islam Makhachev believes that the belt is in his hands. It has been the fighter’s goal to get a shot at the belt for quite a while, and the passion became all the stronger when his friend and teammate, Khabib retired from mixed martial arts. 

It seems that Makhachev will be getting his shot later in the year, as only a few days ago the fight was made official. So, how will the fight go?

Conclusion

According to quite a UFC commentators, including Chael Sonnen, the odds are in Islam Makhachev’s favor. While it is impossible to know with 100% certainty, it would appear that most fans are also on Mr. Sonnen’s side, and are backing the Russian fighter in the upcoming match. The fight will be taking place on October 22, from what we understand. It will be held in Abu Dhabi as the main event of UFC 281. Expectations are high and fans of both fighters are excited for the results.