5 reasons why Charles Oliveira will become the greatest-ever UFC lightweight if he wins at UFC 280
UFC 280 is a month away. Charles Oliveira will face Islam Makhachev in one of the most highly anticipated matchups of 2022. Unfortunately, missing weight for his UFC 274 matchup against Justin Gaethje led to 'do Bronx' being stripped of the UFC lightweight championship.
Regardless, UFC fans still recognize Charles Oliveira as the 155 lbs weight class' reigning kingpin. His success inside the octagon has led many to compare him to retired lightweight great Khabib Nurmagomedov. The undefeated Russian is widely regarded as the greatest lightweight in MMA history despite some asserting that B.J. Penn still reigns supreme as the all-time great 155'er.
Oliveira has proved to be an exciting fighter to watch. There is no dismissing the argument that he might have already matched Nurmagomedov's accomplishments in the cage.
However, should the Brazilian overcome Islam Makhachev, a close friend and training partner of Nurmagomedov's, he will have earned the right to declare himself the greatest lightweight in history and this list explores five reasons why.
#5. Charles Oliveira is the greatest submission specialist in UFC lightweight history
There are only two lightweights against whom Charles Oliveira must prove his mettle to establish his claim as the greatest 155'er of all time. Khabib Nurmagomedov and B.J. Penn are widely regarded as the greatest lightweights in UFC and MMA history.
Both fighters were lauded for their grappling. Nurmagomedov is a two-time Combat Sambo world champion, while Penn is a fifth-degree Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt.
The easiest statistic to determine how effective a fighter is as a grappler is by examining how many submission victories they have. B.J. Penn has three submission wins in UFC lightweight history over Kenny Florian, Joe Stevenson and Jens Pulver.
Meanwhile, Nurmagomedov has five submission wins inside the octagon over Kamal Shalorus, Michael Johnson, Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje.
Imo, Charles Oliveira is now the LW GOAT.
- Most submissions in UFC history
- Most finishes in UFC history
- Most bonuses in UFC history
- 4th most wins in UFC history
- Notable wins: Poirier, Gaethje, Chandler, Ferguson, Lee https://t.co/vjfhDNCfhC
While Kenny Florian and Jens Pulver are quality submission wins for Penn due to their grappling and Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt credentials, Nurmagomedov's submission wins require more scrutiny. The only black belt the Russian defeated was Dustin Poirier. None of his other foes were noteworthy grapplers, especially the likes of Justin Gaethje and Michael Johnson.
By comparison, Charles Oliveira has ten submission wins in the UFC's 155 lbs weight class.
Among those wins are Dustin Poirier, Jim Miller and Kevin Lee, two of whom are black belts and one of whom is a high-level wrestler. Oliveira has more submissions and has defeated more high-level grapplers than both Penn and Nurmagomedov, both of whom are revered for their grappling.
If Oliveira defeats Islam Makhachev by submission at UFC 280, he will add another high-level grappler to his list of victims.