"You wanna make sure that you're having Volkanovski fight who used to be the champ"– Josh Thomson speculates on UFC's plan for the backup fighter for Charles Oliveira vs. Islam Makhachev

Charles Oliveira and Islam Makhachev are set to compete for the lightweight title in the main event of the highly anticipated UFC 280. Former UFC lightweight and current mixed martial arts analyst Josh Thomson shared his thoughts on the backup plan if either fighter is unable to compete.

The fight you’ve all been asking for 👀

@CharlesDoBronxs vs @MakhachevMMA is set for the LW title 👑

[ #UFC280 | @VisitAbuDhabi | @InAbuDhabi | #InAbuDhabi ] https://t.co/GhqjbwZ0LM

Speaking on his WEIGHING IN podcast, Thomson stated:

"If Islam falls off, you slide Volkanovski in there because Oliveira used to be the former champ. You wanna make sure that you're having Volkanovski fight who used to be the champ."

Thomson added:

"If Oliveira falls out, you slide Dariush in there because Dariush is ranked high, and why risk Volk right now for that until you have yourself a real champion? I would rather see Volk fight the real champion. Right now, everyone says the champ has a name, Charles Oliveira."

With Alexander Volkanovski looking to fill in as a potential back-up for UFC 280's main event, Thomson's theory makes sense. A victory over either fighter would make Volkanovski the fifth double champ in the promotion's history.

However, if his victory comes against Makhachev, there would surely be fans questioning the accomplishment as the Dagestani has never been a champion. With Beneil Dariush fighting on the same card, having him face Makhachev with Volkanovski fighting the winner on a future occasion is a feasible solution. Dariush is also fighting at UFC 280, he'll be facing surging lightweight contender Mateusz Gamrot and could very well serve as the second backup for the main event fight.

Watch Josh Thomson discuss the back-up plan for Charles Oliveira and Islam Makhachev below (starting at the 40:12 mark):

Charles Oliveira and Islam Makhachev will make history at UFC 280

UFC 280 is one of the most anticipated cards of the year, in large part due to the lightweight title fight between Charles Oliveira and Islam Makhachev. The headliner between the No.1-ranked and No.4-ranked lightweights will mark the first time in UFC history that both fighters in a title fight have a double-digit win streak.

Charles Oliveira vs Islam Makhachev will become the first ever UFC title fight when both fighters are on 10 plus win streaks. #UFC280 🏆 https://t.co/h75QKxeyeP

Oliveira has won his last eleven fights, dating back to 2017, while Makhachev's win streak dates back to 2015 and currently sits at ten. Despite the lengthy win streaks possessed by both fighters, neither will enter as the lightweight champ. Oliveira was stripped of the belt after missing weight at UFC 274, while Makhachev is entering his first title fight.

If Oliveira is able to emerge victorious, he will have defeated every other lightweight in the top five in a span of less than 18 months. If Makhachev is able to pull through, he'd be hailed as the second coming of Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Oliveira has been dominating top lightweights at a wild rate 😳 #UFC280 https://t.co/4cJAb2mWkS