UFC veteran points out why Charles Oliveira needs to be "perfect" against Islam Makhachev
Former UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira is all set to face Islam Makhachev for the vacant UFC lightweight title at UFC 280 on October 22. Weighing in on this highly-anticipated matchup, UFC Hall of Famer Michael Bisping has asserted that Oliveira has to be perfect against Makhachev.
Bisping said:
“He [Oliveira] is gonna have to be careful. If he wants to be the champ, if he wants to win this one and go home with another shiny belt against Islam Makhachev, he’s gonna have to be perfect – Because Islam doesn’t make mistakes. He [Makhachev] is on a, I think it’s a 10-fight win streak.”
Taking to his YouTube channel, Bisping lauded Oliveira for his incredible 11-fight win streak. He praised ‘do Bronx’ for bouncing back from his past losses. Bisping also highlighted Makhachev’s dominant 10-fight win streak and emphasized that the Dagestani fighter doesn’t take as many risks as Oliveira.
The UFC veteran explained that Oliveira’s high-risk fighting style and tendency to commit mistakes makes for exciting fights. Bisping noted, however, that Makhachev is much more clinical and doesn’t make as many mistakes.
Here's a look at Islam Makhachev's elite grappling:
The Trips and Throws of Islam Makhachev https://t.co/oUp1K3etIb
Bisping cited Makhachev’s flawless performances in his recent fights against Dan Hooker and Bobby Green as examples of his dominance.
“How many decisions? One, two – Four decisions in there; six stoppages, four decisions. So, that’s a tremendous win streak, but it’s the way that he [Makhachev] does them. He goes out there, and he’s almost perfect in his approach.”
Watch Bisping discuss the topic at 5:26 in the video below:
Dan Lambert makes a bold prediction for Islam Makhachev vs. Charles Oliveira
In a recent episode of the Punchin’ In podcast, ATT (American Top Team) founder Dan Lambert put forth a rather bold prediction for the Oliveira-Makhachev matchup. Despite Oliveira’s outstanding 11-fight win streak, Lambert noted that he’d bet on Makhachev to beat him. Lambert said:
"Do I think Islam's gonna beat Charles Oliveira? Who's on my top five? Yeah. If I had to bet on that fight, I'd bet on him [Makhachev]... If he beats Charles, he's immediately on that [pound-for-pound] ranking and he will deserve to be."
Watch the full episode of the Punchin' In podcast below:
Charles Oliveira was stripped of the UFC lightweight title after missing weight ahead of his fight against Justin Gaethje in May. Regardless, Oliveira craftily stopped Gaethje via first-round submission and sealed his shot at the vacant title.
Meanwhile, Islam Makhachev has wreaked havoc in the lightweight division. He is coming off a terrifyingly one-sided TKO victory over UFC mainstay Bobby Green in February.
Who do you think is going to emerge victorious and claim the lightweight title?