Breaking: Charles Oliveira makes a statement as he steps onto the scales first and makes 154.5 lbs comfortably
Charles Oliveira put all doubts to rest by successfully making weight for his UFC 280 clash against Islam Makhachev. 'do Bronx' comfortably tipped the scales at 154.5 lbs, half a pound less than the championship limit of 155 lbs.
Oliveira's weight cut was seemingly smooth, considering his energy at the weigh-ins. 'do Bronx' sprinted both to and off the scale as the crowd loudly rallied behind him.
Watch Oliveira's UFC 280 weigh-in below:
First to the scale, @CharlesDoBronxs is in at 154.5 pounds!
[ #UFC280 | Tomorrow | Live on ESPN+ PPV: ufc.ac/3BIPnuM ] https://t.co/oKTm13ewee
Oliviera's opponent Islam Makhachev also weighed in at exactly 154.5 lbs, which means the UFC 280 main event is good to go. Meanwhile, Alexander Volkanovski, the backup fighter for the event, tipped the scale at an even 155 lbs. However, it looks like the featherweight champion may have to sit this one out on the sidelines.
THE #UFC280 MAIN EVENT IS SET
Charles Oliveira: 154.5 lbs
Islam Makhachev: 154.5 lbs twitter.com/i/web/status/1… https://t.co/iRXzMxcbzm
Official #UFC280 weigh-in results: Alexander Volkanovski (155) https://t.co/truMPrWM53
Watch the UFC 280 weigh-ins below:
Charles Oliveira has suggested dropping down to featherweight to challenge Alexander Volkanovski
Charles Oliveira was stripped of his title after missing weight by half a pound for his UFC 274 clash against Justin Gaethje. However, there was a lot of controversy surrounding the incident, and the Brazilian's claims of a 'heavy scale' were backed up by other fighters on the card.
Oliveira, however, seemed to have no issues making the 155 lbs limit for his upcoming clash against Islam Makhachev. The Brazilian, in fact, claims that he has a team in place good enough to facilitate a move to 145 lbs.
The former lightweight champion, who began his career at featherweight, is now open to moving down again to challenge Alexander Volkanovski for the title. If he emerges victorious against Makhachev, Oliveira wants to compete in back-to-back fights against 'The Great' in two separate weight classes. The 33-year-old said during the UFC 280 media day:
“If we’re going to make this fight happen, Charles vs. Volkanovski, we can have it two ways – we’re going to fight at [155 pounds] and then we’re going to fight [145 pounds] at the end of the year. So we’re going to fight at two weight divisions... Sure, I have a great team to get down to [145 pounds].”
Watch Charles Oliveira's appearance at the UFC 280 media-day scrum below: