"Makhachev will want to hold the fight, not as much as Khabib" - Charles Oliveira's coach makes bold prediction ahead of Islam Makhachev fight
Islam Makhachev and Charles Oliveira are set to collide at UFC 280 next month with the vacant lightweight championship on the line.
Recently, Oliveira's coach Diego Lima spoke on Brazilian podcast MMA com Oswaldo, during which he gave his thoughts on the upcoming fight. Lima dismissed the doubts surrounding Makhachev's past opponents, praising his record:
"A brawl, right? The fight starts on the feet. Man, Makhachev is a very good fighter. Oh, but he's never fought a top five [opponent]. We've said it before and I say it again, he's never fought a top five, but f**k it, the guy is tough, you know? The guy is coming off 10 wins in a row. The guy is good at striking, on the fence and on the ground. The guy has good jiu-jitsu. So it's like that, he's a tough guy and it will be a big challenge, you know? " [translation via Brazilian MMA Legends]
Lima went on to compare Islam Makhachev's style to Khabib Nurmagomedov's and explained the difference between the two Dagestanis:
"Charles is the better at striking on the ground, you know. Charles is the champion and he has the champion's mind, right? So, this fight won't end on points. Especially because Charles is a guy who seeks the knockout or submission all the time. He doesn't hold the fight, unlike Makhachev. Makhachev will want to hold the fight. Not as much as Khabib, Khabib used to hold more. Makhachev likes to stabilize, but he prefers to finish the fight soon."
Check out Diego Lima's comments on MMA com Oswaldo:
Charles Oliveira and his coach predict an early finish
Despite the location perhaps providing more support for Islam Makhachev, Charles Oliveira and his team's confidence remains sky high. Coach Diego Lima has even stated that a finish is on the cards.
Lima went beyond just assuring fans that this fight will not go to the judges' scorecards. He predicted that his fighter will either knock Islam Makhachev out or submit him within the first three rounds.
'Do Bronx' went a step further in his prediction. In an interview with Ag.Fight, the Brazilian promised that the fight wouldn't see a second stanza.
"You can be sure it won’t go past the first round." [translation via Brazilian MMA Legends]
Catch Charles Oliveira's comments on Ag.Fight:
Interestingly, Khabib Nurmagomedov also promised a similar outcome going in the opposite direction. In an impassioned Instagram post, 'The Eagle' showed support for Makhachev while laying down their approach to finish Charles Oliveira early.
"Get your excuses ready, we're aiming to beat Oliveira early InshaAllah" [translation via Instagram]
Check out his Instagram post: