Dominick Cruz explains why Islam Makhachev has better odds for decision win if Charles Oliveira fight goes the distance
Dominick Cruz believes Islam Makhachev is better equipped than Charles Oliveira to grind out a decision in their upcoming matchup.
Oliveira and Makhachev will fight for the vacant lightweight title in the main event of UFC 280. The fight is expected to be one of the most intriguing matchups in the division given the stylistic problems the competitors create for each other.
As far as Cruz is concerned, however, Makhachev has more tools to help him secure a decision victory. Speaking about the matchup during an interview with Helen Yee Sports, the former UFC bantamweight champion said:
"If I'm gonna favor somebody, I would probably have to go with Makhachev on that one just because he's got the best option to also win a decision. The reason I say that is if they're fighting on the feet and Makhachev gets a takedown, he can ride it out if he can stay out of submission threats of Oliveira. He can still win a decision by riding the top, staying safe, ground and pound. Let's say it's even on the feet, Makhachev takes him down and stays out of submissions. That gives Makhachev all the control."
Check out Dominick Cruz's comments in the clip below:
Dominick Cruz breaks down Charles Oliveira vs. Islam Makhachev
Dominick Cruz also assessed how he thinks the fight between Charles Oliveira vs. Islam Makhachev will go down.
According to the former bantamweight champion, the bout will be an interesting test of Makhachev's skills as he will likely be forced to strike with 'do Bronx'. Over the past few years, the Dagestani phenom has dominated most of his opponents as they didn't seem to have an answer for his grappling.
Cruz pointed out that Oliveira won't be a pushover on the ground, though. The Brazilian is one of the most prolific submission artists on the roster with 16 submission wins on his resume. Cruz told Helen Yee:
"[Makhachev] has been able to take them down and keep them there like a blanket, like a heavy, weighted blanket. When it comes to Oliveira, you're not gonna be able to do that. He might be able to keep him there but he's going to be on defense the whole time. So I think we're gonna see a lot of mixture. We're gonna see a mixed martial arts fight. We're going to see groundwork and stand-up equally... What I really like about it is you're gonna see someone test the stand-up of Makhachev."
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