5 reasons why Charles Oliveira could beat Khabib Nurmagomedov
After his big victory over Dustin Poirier at UFC 269 in his first UFC lightweight title defense, there can be little doubt now that Charles Oliveira is the best lightweight on the planet. However, one man who could dispute that is Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Khabib Nurmagomedov never lost his UFC lightweight title inside the octagon – so could he defeat the current champion Charles Oliveira?
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It’d be an extremely hard fight to pick. Despite Khabib’s stellar record of 29-0, there’s definitely an argument that ‘The Eagle’ would come up short against ‘Do Bronx’. This would make Charles Oliveira the first man to defeat the legendary Dagestani.
With that considered, here are five reasons why Charles Oliveira could beat Khabib Nurmagomedov if they were ever to fight.
#5. Charles Oliveira is a superior striker to Khabib Nurmagomedov
It’d be unfair to label Khabib Nurmagomedov a weak or unskilled striker. After all, ‘The Eagle’ was willing to trade hands with practically every fighter he stepped up against in the UFC. He was even able to knock Conor McGregor down in their clash at UFC 229.
However, despite his uppercut knockout of Thiago Tavares back in 2013, it’s probably fair to say that Khabib’s striking was not his bread and butter. As everyone is aware, the Dagestani’s biggest strength was in the grappling realm.
So would Charles Oliveira hold an advantage over Khabib on the feet? If you’d asked that question even four years ago, the answer probably would’ve been no. However, in more recent times, things have changed.
Charles Oliveira now has an extremely dangerous striking game. He’s not only developed his punching power hugely, but he now appears to know exactly how to make full use of his long 74” reach.
The Brazilian has now produced three knockout finishes in his last six bouts, including a truly brutal stoppage of the ultra-tough Michael Chandler at UFC 262.
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In comparison, Justin Gaethje – who is usually labelled the 155lbs division’s heaviest hitter – was unable to put Chandler away over three rounds.
Essentially, a fight between Charles Oliveira and Khabib Nurmagomedov would be unlikely to be a straight shootout on the feet. However, if it did come to that, ‘Do Bronx’ would probably come out on top.