Charles Oliveira was an opinion away from never becoming champion - Chael Sonnen explains why Islam Makhachev opened as favorite against 'Do Bronx'
Chael Sonnen has weighed in on Islam Makhachev's opening as a -415 favorite in a potential fight against Charles Oliveira. In an edition of Beyond the Fight, Sonnen insinuated that Oliveira’s high-risk fighting style is likely responsible for him opening as a +345 underdog against Makhachev.
Sonnen suggested that fighters like Islam Makhachev and the legendary Khabib Nurmagomedov adopt a more methodical approach. Resultantly, they generally need more time to beat a given opponent than Oliveira needs, but they do so without taking as much damage and risking as much as Oliveira does.
Nevertheless, Sonnen acknowledged that Oliveira’s impressive 11-fight win streak and recent wins against top-tier lightweights make his fight against Makhachev truly intriguing. Expressing interest in an Oliveira-Makhachev matchup, Sonnen stated:
“Like, If someone can kick this guy’s [Oliveira’s] a**, that, in and of itself, is good enough for me as a fan. It’s very different, right? Like, Charles has changed. Our opinions of Charles have changed. But it’s a style of fighting that’s hard to bank on.”
“If I was to go back just recently in Charles’ career, Charles was an opinion away from never becoming champion. Michael Chandler was an opinion away from being the world champion.”
Islam Makhachev opens up as a favorite in a potential fight with UFC Lightweight Champion Charles Oliveira:
Charles Oliveira +345 (69/20)
Islam Makhachev -415 (20/83)
(odds via @betonline_ag) 🏆 https://t.co/HHrqAxtZFB
‘The Bad Guy’ recalled round one of Oliveira’s fight against Chandler at UFC 262 in May 2021, wherein Chandler knocked down and almost finished Oliveira.
Sonnen highlighted that it was the referee’s opinion to let the fight continue despite Oliveira absorbing significant damage. 'do Bronx' survived the round, rallied to secure a second-round TKO win, and captured the vacant UFC lightweight title.
Similarly, Sonnen emphasized that Oliveira’s dangerous fighting style resulted in him being knocked down and almost finished in his ensuing fights against Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje too.
Watch Chael Sonnen address a possible Charles Oliveira vs. Islam Makhachev matchup and more in the video below:
Islam Makhachev issues an unflinching response to Charles Oliveira’s coach
Islam Makhachev’s friend and MMA legend Khabib Nurmagomedov called for the former to fight Charles Oliveira for the vacant UFC lightweight title in Abu Dhabi. Nevertheless, Oliveira’s coach Diego Lima hit back by saying that the fight should take place in Oliveira's country of Brazil.
While the fight’s yet to be officially announced, Makhachev recently took to Instagram to issue a fearless response to Oliveira’s coach. Makhachev posted a photo of himself on a horse and attached the following statement to his post:
"Oliveira’s coach asking me to fight for title in Brazil. Pass him this message: on this horse, I’ll walk into his country, grab my belt and bring it to the mountains of Dagestan, where it belongs."