"I'm not counting Charles out anymore"– Chael Sonnen speculates about who could win the striking battle between Islam Makhachev and Charles Oliveira
Ahead of the highly-anticipated fight between Islam Makhachev and Charles Oliveira, Chael Sonnen has asserted that he's done counting out 'do Bronx'. The upcoming matchup will be contested for the vacant UFC lightweight title at UFC 280 on October 22.
In a video posted to his YouTube channel, Chael Sonnen referenced a recent fight preview and analysis that UFC light heavyweight contender Anthony Smith put forth on MMA Fighting's 'The Fighter vs. The Writer' podcast. Sonnen alluded to the fact that Smith claimed he was done underestimating Oliveira.
Anthony Smith opined that Charles Oliveira possesses better stand-up skills than Islam Makhachev. Smith further deemed Oliveira to be comfortable in the submission realm even in the bottom position despite the Dagestani's fearsome wrestling prowess. Sonnen has now claimed that he agrees with Smith's assessment.
Anthony Smith says ‘I’m done doubting’ Charles Oliveira, explains how he beats Islam Makhachev at UFC 280 (@DamonMartin) mmafighting.com/2022/10/10/233… https://t.co/TQqbIygqTt
Nevertheless, Sonnen emphasized that Makhachev's striking abilities shouldn't be underestimated. He further indicated that while Oliveira has displayed impressive striking as of late, he's also been knocked down and almost finished in several recent fights. Sonnen stated:
"So, when I hear that Charles has better stand-up than Islam -- now, on that one, in fairness, you could be right. However, while all of Islam's fights have gone to the ground, one hundred percent of his fights have started standing up. So, it's not as though we haven't seen him there."
'The American Gangster' continued:
"So, while we have seen Charles Oliveira knock people down and finish fights from his feet, we've also seen Charles knocked down and almost finished from his feet. I don't know what you want to do with that. I'm with Anthony. I'm not counting Charles out anymore. I'm not."
Watch Sonnen discuss the topic in the video below:
Henry Cejudo gives his prediction for the Islam Makhachev vs. Charles Oliveira fight
Former two-division UFC champion Henry Cejudo recently weighed in with his take regarding the much-awaited clash between Islam Makhachev and Charles Oliveira. During a Q&A session on his YouTube channel, Cejudo picked Makhachev to win the UFC 280 showdown, whilst warning that Oliveira shouldn't be counted out.
'Triple C' has time and again expressed his respect for both Makhachev and Oliveira. He's consistently lauded Makhachev for his wrestling and Oliveira for his BJJ skills. Addressing the matchup, Cejudo gave Makhachev a slight edge against 'do Bronx' and said:
"I'm gonna have to go with Islam but you shouldn't count Charles out... I like them both but, I don't know man, it's hard to count out the champ [Oliviera] too but I just know how good he [Islam Makhachev] is."
Watch the Q&A session in the video below: