Islam Makhachev absent from UFC 280 press conference in London featuring Charles Oliveira

Charles Oliveira (left) and Islam Makhachev (right)

There's a lot of hype surrounding the upcoming fight between Charles Oliveira and Islam Makhachev. Makhachev and Oliveira are set to collide in a lightweight title clash in the headliner of UFC 280 which will take place at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on October 22.

The UFC has announced an official press conference for the highly anticipated pay-per-view event, which is set to take place on Friday, July 22. Following the weigh-ins for the upcoming UFC London event, 'do Bronx' will be present in front of fans and media at the O2 Arena in London to promote UFC 280.

The Brazilian's opponent, however, will not be a part of the press conference due to undisclosed reasons. MMA journalist Chisanga Malata first reported news of the UFC 280 press conference on Twitter.

Check out his tweet below:

There will be a UFC 280 press conference ahead of the #UFCLondon weigh-ins on Friday afternoon. https://t.co/W9UIGadZey

Bookmakers seem to think that Islam Makhachev is likely to pick up a comfortable victory against Charles Oliveira at UFC 280. The Dagestani fighter is currently a strong -225 favorite to win the fight whereas 'do Bronx' is a +195 underdog.

While Makhachev's dominance inside the octagon and his Dagestani roots make him a favorite, it would be a mistake to underestimate Charles Oliveira. The 32-year-old is on an 11-fight winning streak inside the octagon and has finishes over former interim champions like Tony Ferguson, Justin Gaethje and Dustin Poirier.

Alexander Volkanovski awaits the winner of Charles Oliveira vs. Islam Makhachev

Whoever takes the 155lbs title at UFC 280, there's already another challenger waiting to face the winner next. Featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski is likely next in line to fight for the lightweight title and potential double champ status in the promotion.

In a recent tweet, Volkanovski made it clear that he wants to fight the winner of Oliveira vs. Makhachev for the title next.

I got the winner!! 👊 twitter.com/ufc/status/154…

Volkanovski is currently the No.2-ranked pound-for-pound fighter in the UFC. He has run through the entire featherweight division over the past few years. In his most recent fight, Volkanovski picked up a dominant unanimous decision win over Max Holloway, settling their rivalry with a 3-0 clean sweep.