Our Charles Oliveira vs Islam Makhachev prediction is that the UFC 280 headliner is going to be one of the best fights of 2022. We think the UFC Lightweight title fight is going to be crowned the Fight of the Night on Saturday, October 22, with both fighters throwing all they got at each other.
But who’s going to get ahold of the vacant championship belt? To see what we think, make sure to read our Oliveira vs Makhachev prediction piece until the very end.
Charles Oliveira vs Islam Makhachev Odds
Moneyline
| Charles Oliveira | +136 |
| Islam Makhachev | -174 |
*Odds taken from FanDuel on Wednesday, October 19.
When, Where, and How to Watch?
- Place: Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, UAE
- Date: Saturday, October 22
- How to Watch: UFC Fight Pass / ESPN+
Charles Oliveira Dreaming of the GOAT Status
Charles Oliveira won the UFC Lightweight title in May 2015 after beating Michael Chandler by TKO. His first title defense happened in December 2021 when he beat Dustin Poirier by submission. Oliveira’s third defense of the championship belt happened in May 2022 against Justin Gaethje.
The Brazilian fighter did beat Gaethje but was stripped of the title by the UFC officials for missing the weight. As a result, he now has to fight Makhachev for it, who’s seen as the favorite by bookmakers.
The reason why this is kind of surprising is that Oliveira is a GOAT candidate. Not only is he the man with the most finishes in UFC history, as well as the man with the most submission wins in the promotion, but he’s got wins against some elite fighters.
All this has sparked a discussion on whether he’s the GOAT of the UFC Lightweight division and not Khabib Nurmagomedov, who’s coaching Oliveira’s next opponent.
Some MMA pundits, like Michael Bisping, for example, think that if Oliveira beats Khabib’s protégé, he will become the GOAT. So, can he beat Makhachev?
Islam Makhachev is the Betting Favorite for a Reason
The Dagestan fighter is 22-1 in his professional career, while Oliveira’s record is 33-8-1. Similarly to Do Bronx, Makhachev too is a submission expert. He’s won 10 of his 22 wins by this method. That’s more submission wins than any other Oliveira’s opponents had before fighting him.
That said, the Brazilian legend will probably find it hard to put Makhachev to submission. The same, of course, goes the other way around, which is why we could see the two focus on boxing more than usual. If they get on the floor, the fight can go either way.
Charles Oliveira vs Islam Makhachev Prediction
Makhachev’s record tells the whole story of why he’s favored to win the UFC 280 headliner fight. However, there’s a caveat – this guy hasn’t fought against elite fighters such as Charles Oliveira.
That said, even though the two have similar weapons in their MMA arsenals, the Brazilian fighter simply has more experience fighting big fights like this one.
Pick: Charles Oliveira to win