Charles Oliveira talks about the only way Alexander Volkanovski can win against Islam Makhachev
Charles Oliveira has offered his take on the upcoming clash between Islam Makhachev and Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 284 in Perth, Australia, next year. Having had first-hand experience against Makhachev, 'do Bronx' detailed the only scenario in which Volkanovski can derail the Dagestani's impressive run.
Alexander Volkanovski will aim to become the fifth fighter in UFC history to simultaneously hold two titles at UFC 284. Fighting up a weight class against a competitor as dominant as Makhachev is precisely the kind of challenge that invigorates the 145-pound champion.
Charles Oliveira failed in his bid to reclaim the 155-pound belt against Islam Makhachev at UFC 280 earlier this year. The Dagestani standout dictated the fight and dominated Oliveira in the opening round before dropping him with a left hook and finishing the fight by securing an arm triangle choke.
Oliveira discussed the forthcoming lightweight bout during a recent episode of the Super Lutas podcast. While he feels Islam Makhachev will prevail as the victor, he outlined a scenario in which Volkanovski could gain the upper hand (translation via ChrashMMA on YouTube):
"They are two great fighters. Alex is a fighter that defends takedowns well. He hits and kicks very hard. On the other side, Islam has very good takedowns. When he gets you down, he puts on the pressure."
Oliveira added:
"I think Islam wins....But if Volkanovski defends the takedowns in the first round and connects with the hands....[shakes head in approval that Volkanovski has a chance]."
Catch Oliveira's take below:
Watch the full episode below:
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Alexander Volkanovski discusses upcoming fight with Islam Makhachev
Alexander Volkanovski is the top-ranked UFC men's pound-for-pound fighter in the organization. However, the Australian does not take his standing in the UFC lightly. Rather, the UFC featherweight champion wants to erase any lingering concerns about his inclusion on that list.
Islam Makhachev was quick to challenge Volkanovski following his UFC 280 victory over Charles Oliveira, which placed him at the No.2 spot in the sport's ranking of top fighters. Both fighters shook hands inside the octagon to set the stage for the blockbuster clash.
Alex Volkanovski in Australia 
THIS WOULD BE MEGA! 😍
Islam Makhachev 🆚 Alex Volkanovski in Australia 🇦🇺
Both titles on the line 🏆🏆
P4P ranking on the line ✅
@MAKHACHEVMMA 🤝 @alexvolkanovski
#UFC280 #UFC #MMA https://t.co/YW7Zybxc99
During the fight between Oliveira and Makhachev in October of this year, Alexander Volkanovski acted as a backup. The Australian recently uploaded the first episode of Double Champ Camp UFC 284 to YouTube and provided a preview of the impending fight:
"I've already had a little bit of a camp for Islam that last time [at UFC 280] in Abu Dhabi. No disrespect to Charles [Oliveira] but I felt my style alone is alright. I just obviously focused more on the takedown defense and all that type of stuff. I've already had a short-camp for him....I've said from the start, I'm very hard to hold down. I've never really had to work on that because I know I'll get back up. I respect him [Makhachev] enough to know that it needs a little bit of work."
Check out the video below: