Charles Oliveira plans to knockout Islam Makhachev in the 1st round at UFC 280
Charles Oliveira has revealed that he plans to knockout Islam Makhachev in the first round of their highly-anticipated fight.
Former UFC lightweight champion Oliveira is scheduled to face Makhachev for the vacant UFC lightweight title at UFC 280 in Abu Dhabi, U.A.E. on October 22nd.
Many in the MMA community have lauded Oliveira for traveling to his rival's backyard for the fight, as Makhachev enjoys a huge fan base in the U.A.E. During the UFC 280 open workout session in Abu Dhabi, 'Do Bronx' alluded to the fact that Dagestan's Makhachev will enjoy a sort of home turf advantage in the U.A.E.
With that being said, the Brazilian MMA stalwart warned that he'll beat Makhachev regardless. Upon being asked about his preparations for the UFC 280 fight, Oliveira stated:
"I'm a hundred percent. I was born for this. I was chosen. I'm enlightened. I know you guys may be rooting for him, but I'm gonna knock out Islam Makhachev in the first round."
Abu Dhabi also happens to be home to the ADCC (Abu Dhabi Combat Club), which hosts some of the world's best BJJ (Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu) artists, including several from Brazil. BJJ savant Oliveira was asked whether he had a message for the Brazilian fans as well as his other fans in Abu Dhabi. Oliveira responded by seemingly paying homage to BJJ pioneer Helio Gracie and said:
"For everyone out there, thank you so much. I mean, we're gonna show the power of Jiu-Jitsu. This is for Helio [Gracie] family. On the 22nd, we're gonna show that my work has a lot of strength. We're gonna prove to people. We're here to stay."
Watch Oliveira discuss the topic in the video below:
Islam Makhachev on how his UFC 280 fight with Charles Oliveira could play out
Presently, Islam Makhachev is riding high on a 10-fight win streak, while Charles Oliveira has put together an impressive 11-fight win streak. Needless to say, Makhachev vs. Oliveira has been one of the most eagerly-awaited matchups of 2022 -- a matchup that Makhachev believes he'll dominate.
In an interview with ESPN MMA's Brett Okamoto earlier this year, Islam Makhachev emphasized that Charles Oliveira should come prepared for their fight. On that note, the wrestling wizard predicted an exciting showdown with Oliveira if the latter enters their fight in good shape. Makhachev noted:
"If Charles is going to come to Dubai, or Abu Dhabi in very good shape, it's going to be like iron. When they touch together, sparks, you know? When I touch Charles, it's going to be always sparks. If he comes in very good shape."
Watch Makhachev's assessment at 23:44 in the video below: