Fellow Brazilian Patricky Pitbull believes Charles Oliveira could have done more to escape Islam Makhachev's submission
Bellator lightweight champion Patricky Pitbull believes Charles Oliveira tapped out too quickly in his title fight with Islam Makhachev at UFC 280.
In Abu Dhabi, Oliveira and Makhachev faced-off for the vacant 155-pound strap. The Russian fighter was dominant from the start and surprised fans by winning the standup exchanges with 'Do Bronx'.
A strong first-round for Makhachev was followed up in the second by a huge right hand that dropped Oliveira. The 31-year-old went to the ground with him and locked in an arm-triangle choke to make the Brazilian tap immediately.
ISLAM MAKHACHEV IS THE UNDISPUTED LW CHAMPION OF THE WORLD! 🏆
[ @MakhachevMMA | #UFC280 ] https://t.co/aJzHlS6fxF
In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda MMA's James Lynch, Pitbull suggested that Charles Oliveira could have used his Brazilian jiu-jitsu arsenal to try and escape the submission:
"I think that the time-zone difference affect Charles a little bit. He got there [Abu Dhabi] too close to the fight and didn't give himself enough time to adapt to it. As far as the technical aspects of the fight go, he was a little bit too passive. He didn't fight the way he had been fighting the last few fights. I think that he could have tried to escape the submission attempt but he didn't even try."
Check out the full exclusive interview here:
Patricky Pitbull predicts Islam Makhachev vs. Alexander Volkanovski
In the same interview, Pitbull was asked about his prediction for a potential bout between Islam Makhachev and featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski.
'The Great' was out in Abu Dhabi for UFC 280 as a backup fighter for the main event. The Australian's dominance at 145 pounds has resulted in him eying up double-champ status and it looks as though he's all but confirmed to be Islam Makhachev's opponent for his first title defense.
According to Pitbull, Makhachev will dominate the fight because of Volkanovski's smaller size:
"I think Islam is going to smash Volkanovski. He's a small guy. I believe the wrestling is gonna be the big difference on this fight. Islam can do striking, wrestling; everything, he can do it."
Following Islam Makhachev's celebrations at UFC 280, Alexander Volkanovski was invited into the octagon. The pair exchanged words and Volkanovski stated that he's more than willing to put his No.1 pound-for-pound spot on the line for a shot at the title.
The bout is expected to take place in early 2023, with the UFC having recently confirmed a return to Perth, Australia, for UFC 284.