Islam Makhachev

A super-fight between Islam Makhachev and Alexander Volkanovski could be bound for Australia. Immediately after defeating Charles Oliveira to claim the UFC ...

[served as the alternate](https://www.cbssports.com/mma/news/ufc-news-rumors-alexander-volkanovski-will-serve-as-backup-for-lightweight-title-fight-in-abu-dhabi/) for Oliveira vs. Volkanovski has repeatedly expressed his desire to challenge for the lightweight crown as he awaits a clear contender in the featherweight division. Nurmagomedov argued that Makhachev is the top pound-for-pound fighter in the sport and should usurp Oliveira's No. Makhachev overwhelmed Oliveira at UFC 280. Volkanovski is currently the No. A super-fight between Islam Makhachev and Alexander Volkanovski could be bound for Australia.

With a tremendous performance, Islam Makhachev submitted Charles Oliveira in two episodes to win the UFC lightweight title in Abu Dhabi.

Makhachev was on top, but Oliveira defended well, then Islam escaped a triangle. Makhachev came out furious from the opening bell, Islam started with a flurry of punches on Oliveira, who immediately went to the clinch. Oliverira started the second round with elbows, Makhachev responded with boxing, Islam tried to take the fight to the ground, but Charles defended well, but only for a time.

Islam Makhachev had been building to this moment. With the help of Khabib Nurmagomedov, Makhachev now wears the UFC gold at 155 pounds.

[Alexander Volkanovski](http://www.espn.com/mma/fighter/_/id/3949584/alexander-volkanovski), who happened to be sitting cageside at Etihad Arena. He wanted to pick a fight, a massive fight, for his friend. "Last couple of years, I told you guys Islam Makhachev is the best fighter," Nurmagomedov said. He has been a dominant force since he entered the UFC in 2015, winning 10 fights in a row going into Saturday. But Makhachev has a well-rounded skill set that sets him apart from all others in his division. [Dustin Poirier](https://www.espn.com/mma/fighter/_/id/2506549/dustin-poirier). After beating up [Davi Ramos](https://www.espn.com/mma/fighter/_/id/3114625/davi-ramos) to run his record to 18-1, Makhachev was sitting at the postfight dais explaining to reporters how he'd gotten it done. Khabib had repeatedly shown that he could do it all inside the cage. Back in their native Dagestan, the elder Nurmagomedov had coached not just his son but also Makhachev, and the new champ wanted to honor his longtime coach with a touching gesture for Khabib, who now serves as his coach and cornerman. And while the title was vacant going into this fight because Oliveira had been stripped after missing weight before his May bout with Gaethje, pretty much the whole MMA world considered the Brazilian the de facto champ. From the start, he did not hesitate to attack Oliveira, who was coming off consecutive finishes of This moment and all that led up to it signified the brotherhood between these two fighters.

Makhachev dominated Oliveira from start to finish and ended the fight at 3:16 of the second round with an arm triangle.

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The action in Abu Dhabi did not disappoint with a pair of title fights and an incredible bout at bantamweight.

The fight was as dramatic as it was fun to watch as O'Malley weathered the storm of Yan's six takedowns and constant physical pressure to bloody and drop his opponent with a flying knee in Round 3. [O'Malley received the benefit of the doubt](https://www.cbssports.com/mma/news/ufc-280-results-highlights-sean-omalley-takes-split-decision-over-petr-yan-to-earn-likely-title-shot/) from the judges in a split decision win over former champion Petr Yan. O'Malley was lucky to receive the nod and twice during his postfight interview admitted that he wasn't sure he even won and would need to rewatch the tape before commenting on whether he's ready for a title shot. But pushing forward with a fight he was physically unfit to win, even with the courage he showed, makes it that much harder to reward him with a big payday for acting "heroically." [entered the Octagon following Makhachev's victory](https://www.cbssports.com/mma/news/ufc-280-alexander-volkanovski-accepts-islam-makhachevs-challenge-for-lightweight-title-fight-in-australia/) for a staredown meant to hype a potential fight between the two in Australia next year for the 155-pound title. And while it's clear from his apology that he wasn't interested in holding up the sport's deepest division any longer, nobody wins in a scenario such as this. Dillashaw deserved enormous credit for surviving the opening round while Sterling, a ground specialist with suffocatingly long limbs, had his way with him on top and repeatedly took his back. The former two-time bantamweight champion, who was hoping to make history at 36 by challenging Aljamain Sterling, was mysteriously absent during UFC Embedded filming and didn't take part in the public workout. Makhachev cut Oliveira early with a left cross and was never in trouble against a fighter who owns the UFC record for submission and stoppage wins. An early injury to TJ Dillashaw also brought an abrupt end to Aljamain Sterling's second defense of his bantamweight title in the co-main event. Given the ease at which he finished Oliveira, it also isn't out of the question that the larger Makhachev would enter as the betting favorite. Not only did Makhachev step up his striking in a big way against Oliveira, his ability to dominate on the ground and create an opening for an immediate finish was nothing short of Khabib-like.

ABU DHABI – Islam Makhachev pulled off a sensational submission win over Charles Oliveira to win the lightweight title and Aljamain Sterling beat TJ ...

“I probably popped it out about 20 times in training camp… Makhachev capped his ascent to the lightweight throne with a brilliant win by arm triangle choke against Brazilian Oliveira, the holder of the UFC record for submission wins with 16. ABU DHABI – Islam Makhachev pulled off a sensational submission win over Charles Oliveira to win the lightweight title and Aljamain Sterling beat TJ Dillashaw by TKO to claim the bantamweight belt at UFC 280 at the Etihad Arena on Saturday.

There was a poignant moment inside the Octagon on Saturday night where Islam Makhachev handed Khabib Nurmagomedov the UFC title he had just won.He def.

“I mean, to beat Oliveira is one thing, to beat him the way he beat him is another. The big question tonight was how is he going to deal with the pressure. I told you he’s the best in the world.’

Islam Makhachev defeated Charles Oliveira via second-round head-and-arm choke to claim the lightweight belt on Saturday at UFC 280 in Abu Dhabi.

It popped out early in the matchup and he was in clear pain throughout. After the fight, he said he “completely blew his shoulder out” in April and dislocated it often during his training camp for the fight. That’s exactly what happened in the main event as he took Oliveira down at will throughout the two rounds.

Makhachev vs. Volkanovski, Aljamain Sterling vs. O'Malley are among the best fights to make after UFC 280.

If Dillashaw will be out for a while, it is best to wait and see how the bantamweight division settles in the coming months. The most important thing for Dillashaw is to get consistent reps in the Octagon. Volkanovski appears to be the next direction for the lightweight title. What is undeniable is that O'Malley proved he belonged despite what many predicted to be too much, too soon for the "Suga" Show. Unfortunately, in the shadow of Makhachev vs. Beneil Dariush: There may be no more exciting fight in the totality of what mixed martial arts is than Oliveira vs. As a consequence, he should not fall too far down the ladder. Makhachev and UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski have already set the groundwork for a lightweight super-fight in Australia. The They are willing to stake the UFC lightweight title to make it happen. Makhachev and his coach, UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov, want to usurp Volkanovski as the UFC's No. In a rare move: the defending champion called out a challenger.

Charles Oliveira promises to one day be UFC champion again following his loss to Islam Makhachev at UFC 280.

So we’re just going to wait a little bit. There’s days that they’re going to be better than you. We’re going to be home and negotiate it from there.” So what we’re going to do is go back home, see my family, talk to my managers, assess the matters, butt heads a little bit with the UFC. There’s days that you’re going to be better than other people. “No one is ever going to hit me as hard as life has hit me,” Oliveira told reporters at the UFC 280 post-fight press conference.

Islam Makhachev looks somewhat unbeatable at lightweight after winning gold at UFC 280, and it might take a featherweight to end his run.

If Makhachev can be the man to do it, he would truly have a legacy that is unique in a sport where it’s becoming harder and harder to stand out. However, I wouldn’t be taken off guard either if he made another huge statement against Volkanovski and opened more eyes to the true depth of his talents. There will be plenty of time to analyze the Makhachev vs. It seems like Makhachev is poised to make a serious run as champion in this division, but can he separate himself from the pack of the 11 undisputed titleholders who came before him? 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the sport right now, but he’ll go into Volkanovski’s (25-1 MMA, 12-0 UFC) back yard of Australia to do it. In order to do that, he would need to exceed the record of three consecutive title defenses, which is shared by Nurmagomedov, Benson Henderson, Frankie Edgar and B.J. He has the belt, and sits atop arguably the most stacked weight class in the entire spot. His eight-fight winning streak – which is the longest in the history of the weight class – is proof to that manner. He didn’t get outclassed in this fight by any stretch of imagination, and that’s truly the biggest takeaway from this fight. He’s now undefeated in his past nine contests, and he’s firmly entrenched as one of the very best in the division. And there’s no doubt this experience is going to make him a better fighter going forward. Dillashaw came into their bantamweight championship fight with a pre-existing injury that seemingly took him out of the contest from the very first exchange.

Islam Makhachev became the new lightweight champion on Saturday night, while Aljamain Sterling defended his bantamweight title against former champ T.J. ...

The views expressed here are that of the respective authors/ entities and do not represent the views of Economic Times (ET). [Yan](/topic/yan), it is likely that Sean could get a title shot against Aljo. The night's biggest winners were [Islam Makhachev](/topic/islam-makhachev), [Aljamain Sterling](/topic/aljamain-sterling), and [Sean](/topic/sean)O’Malley. [Ultimate Fighting Championship](/topic/ultimate-fighting-championship)(UFC) Lightweight Champion. During the interview, Islam singled out Volkanovski and made it clear to whom he wanted to defend his belt. On the other hand, Sugar Sean won a split decision against former champ Petr Yan.

Makhachev dropped the former champion before locking in his submission to send the crowd in Abu Dhabi into a frenzy.

Petr Yan](https://www.cbssports.com/mma/news/ufc-280-results-highlights-sean-omalley-takes-split-decision-over-petr-yan-to-earn-likely-title-shot/)via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) TJ Dillashaw](https://www.cbssports.com/mma/news/ufc-280-results-highlights-aljamain-sterling-dominates-injured-tj-dillashaw-for-tko-to-retain-title/)via second-round TKO (punches) [Sean O'Malley def. In his most recent outing, Oliveira had again turned the tables after an early scare, submitting Justin Gaethje. This ability to survive in bad spots led to Oliveira winning the lightweight belt in December 2021 with a TKO win over Michael Chandler and a successful defense against Dustin Poirier. Makhachev also landed a few punches in the opening frame that seemed to rock Oliveira. Makhachev won every area of the fight from the opening bell, landing good shots on the feet and scoring an early takedown.

The Russian fighter is now the man to beat in what has historically been one of MMA's deepest divisions, and what he wants next is to fight featherweight ...

“I have to defend this belt in my division, then we’ll see,” Makhachev said. “I have to be No. We’re going to think about this, but right now I have to defend this belt many times.” That’s why I have to go to Australia and beat this guy.” “I don’t think about retirement right now,” Makhachev said. “I have a new target,” Makhachev said at the evening’s post-fight press conference.