UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov recently spoke about the upcoming lightweight championship bout between former champion Charles Oliveira and No. 4 ranked contender Islam Makhachev.
On October 22nd, the two fighters will headline UFC 280 to crown a new lightweight champion after the title was vacated at UFC 274 in May. Oliveira, the former titleholder, weighed in over the lightweight title fight limit of 155 pounds the night before he was scheduled to face Justin Gaethje. As a result, ‘Do Bronx’ was stripped of the title. Oliveira defeated Gaethje guaranteeing his opportunity to reclaim the title. Standing in his way will be Khabib Nurmagomedov’s protege, Islam Makhachev.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, the former lightweight king Khabib Nurmagomedov discussed the upcoming showdown between Oliveira and his successor.
“Oliveira has been around for a long time. When there’s someone on a good win streak in your weight division, you start seeing him as a potential opponent. Then you start thinking of what you need to do when you fight him. We studied him closely and we continue to study him. He’s got a very good guillotine. You have to watch out for that. His body is built for it.
“As far as his standup, really good knees, and kicks. Teeps to the body and head. I wouldn’t say he’s strong, but he’s gained a lot of experience and confidence in the last few years. We’re definitely not looking past him, but we are confident we will get through him. We just need to be careful, and patient and stick to the game plan.”
Khabib Nurmagomedov Believes Islam Makhachev Could Become The Greatest UFC Lightweight of All Time
After 10 straight victories, Dagestani star Islam Makhachev is finally getting his big moment inside the Octagon. The product of undefeated lightweight icon Khabib Nurmagomedov has received a significant amount of praise from his mentor. In an interview with TMZ, ‘The Eagle’ was asked if Makhachev could evolve into a better fighter than himself.
“Definitely, it’s possible. You know, right now it’s like this is a legacy fight for Islam. Why I really want him to fight vs. Charles Oliveira because he had 11 win streak and UFC never make like this fight. 11-win streak vs. 10-win streak. It’s supposed to be me versus Tony [Ferguson]. Ok, it never happened. Now we have Islam vs. Charles. Let these guys fight.
“If Islam beat Charles and then he beats new blood like from young generation, we have a lot of young fighters in lightweight division ranking. Beneil [Dariush], Islam beat Charles, Islam beat three more fighters, he can become the greatest lightweight ever. He has this potential. He’s only 30 years old, but UFC has to give him chance.”