Islam Makhachev

Are you ready for the best mixed martial arts card of 2022? Because ready or not, it’s coming your way Saturday when UFC 280 kicks off from Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.

For viewers in the United States, be aware that the first prelim bout is scheduled for 10 a.m. ET, with the main card set to start at 2 p.m. Skip the pumpkin patch this weekend and settle in for the best slate of face-punching you’re likely to find.

We all know about the headliner, pitting the great Charles Oliveira against fast-rising wrestle-demon Islam Makhachev for the vacant UFC lightweight title. It’s not the only belt on the line, as the co-main event features bantamweight champ Aljamain Sterling defending his title against former champ TJ Dillashaw.

But that’s not what makes this card so great, at least not exclusively. From top to bottom, this card is abuzz with drama, awash with talent both established and emerging, and brimming with implications for the UFC landscape moving forward.

Let’s now go beyond the headlines to hit a few key storylines and some under-the-radar fights you should try to catch, even if it means delaying your trip to the local cidery.

Ready? Let’s get it on.

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Will Oliveira’s Long Career and Aggressive Fight Style Catch up to Him?

As much we all love Charlie Olives, the guy is getting pretty shopworn.

He only just turned 33 on Monday, but keep in mind he first fought for the UFC at the tender age of 20, with his overall pro debut coming at age 18. He’s amassed 42 fights in that time, often competing at least three times a year.

Now factor in those life-force-draining weight cuts down to 145 pounds, which he endured 12 times. He missed his mark on the scale four times as a featherweight. (No need to relitigate that controversial miss in his last bout that cost him the lightweight title.)

Now think about his fighting style—this is a guy who lives in the belly of the beast. That aggressive, almost reckless approach, barging head-on into his opponent’s most dangerous skill set, electrifies fans but also has to take its toll. Look at what he did in May, when he stalked down one of the UFC’s most violent strikers in Justin Gaethje, absorbing a knockdown before delivering one of his own en route to a first-round submission. Or when he went toe-to-toe with Michael Chandler last year, taking big damage early, escaping a sub attempt and absorbing 30 significant strikes to give just 24 in return. He had the last laugh, though, in the form of a crushing left hook that ultimately installed OIiveira as the new champ.

Oliveira is on one of the greatest rolls in the UFC right now, and his talent is unassailable. But that doesn’t make him invincible, especially given his past. Longtime fight fans know full well that when a fighter’s decline begins, it’s often a steep and sudden slope.

I picked Oliveira to win this fight because I believe he can stay out of Makhachev’s clutches and strike or scramble his way to victory. Still, with so much fighting and damage in and out of the cage, it wouldn’t be a shock to see the Brazilian’s mojo begin to erode, perhaps this Saturday against a soul-crushing opponent in Makhachev.

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The Souring of Suga Sean

To this point in his career, Sean O’Malley has proved to be a marketable character and a striker you underestimate as your own risk.

But he hasn’t faced anyone yet like Petr Yan. These two do not like each other, and that will only add fuel to a fire that will be very entertaining but will ultimately see one of the UFC's bright young stars fall back to earth.

Yan, the No. 1 bantamweight contender in the official UFC rankings, is easily the toughest test to date for O’Malley, who sits at No. 11. Suga Sean has only one defeat in 10 UFC contests but hasn’t faced any true elites until now, with the possible exception of Marlon Vera, who knocked him out in the first round following a fluky O’Malley injury.

That’s why O’Malley is a +225 underdog here, per DraftKings, and it’s why his hype train is almost certainly destined for a track adjustment.

Can he win this fight? Sure. He has dynamic striking, especially on his rangy kicks, and with a title shot on the line, there’s plenty to fight for. This isn’t a skills competition but rather a cage fight. Pure talent doesn’t always carry the day.

But it says here Yan is going to humble the flashy Arizonan. People are drawn to Yan’s airtight muay thai attack, but his ground game is pretty solid, too. Rather than thrash it out with O’Malley in the center of the ring, as many of his other opponents have done, Yan will work takedowns and ground-and-pound to neutralize O’Malley’s striking and sap his cardio. Yan lands about 1.5 takedowns per contest, while O’Malley’s takedown defense is an unspectacular 64 percent—26 percentage points lower than Yan, who leads the division in this category.

Yan is talented, and he is methodical. O’Malley has never faced a fighter of his caliber before, and it will show Saturday. UFC matchmakers will put the kid gloves back on for the 27-year-old O’Malley after a one-sided affair. Mark it down.

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Gamrot vs. Dariush: Grappler’s Delight

Just a few data points to wet your whistle for what could be a master class in MMA grappling.

Each man has a prestigious pedigree in this area. Once a member of the Polish national youth wrestling team, Gamrot has two ADCC European championships to his name. Dariush, among other accomplishments, is a three-time winner of the prestigious World No-Gi Jiu-Jitsu Championship.

In the UFC, Dariush is far more experienced and ranks in the lightweight division’s top 10 in just about every grappling category, including submission wins (five), total control time (1:19:17) and takedowns landed (26). With only five fights to date in the UFC, Gamrot hasn’t racked up these kinds of cumulative stats yet, but he’s still averaging an absurd 4.83 takedowns per contest. He earned a step up in competition in June after a scintillating Fight of the Night with Arman Tsarukyan that saw him relentlessly striving for takedowns, hitting six of them and racking up nearly five minutes (or a full round) of control time.

Both men like to strike as well, especially Gamrot. But if you enjoy watching the most skilled fighters in the world put those skills on full display, you’re hoping this one plays out mainly on the ground.

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Sean Brady vs. Belal Muhammad: Is Brady Ready for His Close-Up?

Philadelphia native Sean Brady is 15-0 in MMA, including a 5-0 mark under the UFC banner. Though he’s a well-rounded competitor, his power wrestling game is his trademark and highly effective. If you can outwrestle both Jake Matthews and Michael Chiesa, you’re going to turn heads, and Brady has done just that.

It’s been a year since he’s competed, though, and if there’s ring rust in the mix, Belal Muhammad is going to exploit it. Muhammad is a consummate veteran, good everywhere and great nowhere, always ready for five-round wars that attack his opponent’s weak points.

There's also the small matter of fact that Muhammad will be cornered by lightweight GOAT Khabib Nurmagomedov, whose specter hangs over much of this card, from the main event on down.

"He's not Khabib. ... Khabib's lost as a cornerman, and he's going to lose again on Saturday."

@SeanBradyMMA isn't rattled by Khabib cornering Belal Muhammad at #UFC280.

Full interview: https://t.co/uwkJIWfMdV pic.twitter.com/hEgW6lQwjv

— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) October 19, 2022

It's not bothering Brady, at least not in the runup to the fight. If the 29-year-old is going to make the leap from prospect to the real thing, this is the fight where it will happen. DraftKings has him as a slim -140 favorite to get it done.

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Mokaev Takes Another Step

Muhammad Mokaev (8-0) is an overwhelming -1150 favorite to handle Malcolm Gordon on the deep undercard.

The Dagestani-Brit entered the UFC in March behind a mountain of hype, which he justified with a 58-second crushing of poor Cody Durden. A less inspiring but still-effective decisioning of Charles Johnson followed. Now, he’s fighting for the third time in 2022 and should be able to get the action to the ground, which is his wheelhouse. Perhaps looking to stave off the dreaded “boring” label, Mokaev could come out laser-focused on getting a stoppage and set himself up as a serious prospect at the ripe old age of 22.

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Abubakar Nurmagomedov Returns After 19-Month Layoff, Faces Gadzhi Omargadzhiev

Makhachev isn’t the only smesher on the UFC 280 slate. Welterweight Abubakar Nurmagomedov, a cousin of Khabib’s whom Khabib and his family unofficially adopted when the two were kids, is back in the UFC after more than a year-and-a-half away.

The name is Nurmagomedov… Abubakar Nurmagomedov, license to smesh! 👊

30-27
30-27
30-27@NurmagomedovMMA scores a unanimous decision victory at #UFC260 👏 pic.twitter.com/3TbUo9TnF6

— UFC on TNT Sports (@ufcontnt) March 28, 2021

He's an undistinguished 1-1 thus far with the UFC. His debut, a loss, came in 2019. Fast-forward to March 2021, and he had his first win. After what feels like an eternity on a fighter's timeline, he's finally back again, following lengthy delays from injuries and visa issues. DraftKings has him at -165 to defeat Gadzhi Omargadzhiev.

Abubakar is not as dynamic an athlete or as dangerous a finisher as his GOAT cousin and may never see the same level of hype as some of his fellow Dagestanis, including the one at the top of this card. Still, his power grappling and training pedigree mean he’s worth keeping an eye on, at least until he proves he isn’t.

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Charles Oliveira and Islam Makhachev will clash for the vacant UFC lightweight title at Oct. 22's UFC 280 event.

The announcement was made Saturday during the UFC Long Island broadcast.

UFC 280 will take place at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, and Oliveira-Makhachev will headline the card.

The 32-year-old Oliveira won the vacant UFC lightweight title in a second-round technical knockout win over Michael Chandler at UFC 262 in May 2021.

He followed that up with a successful defense against Dustin Poirier at UFC 269 in December 2021, winning by third-round submission, but that would prove to be his final defense.

Prior to a scheduled defense against Justin Gaethje at UFC 274 in May, Oliveira failed to make weight and was stripped of the title.

Gaethje would have become the new champion if he beat Oliveira at catchweight, but Oliveira won by first-round submission.

Oliveira is in the midst of an 11-fight winning streak and owns a career record of 33-8. His last four victories have come against Tony Ferguson, Chandler, Poirier and Gaethje, establishing him as the clear top dog in the lightweight division following the retirement of Khabib Nurmagomedov.

In Makhachev, Oliveira will be facing an opponent whom Khabib had a hand in training, as they are both from the Dagestan region of Russia.

The 30-year-old Makhachev is 22-1 in his career and has won 10 fights in a row, including a first-round TKO over Bobby Green in his most recent outing at UFC Fight Night 202 in February.

Oliveira is easily the toughest matchup Makhachev has faced in the UFC so far. Of the 11 men Makhachev has beaten in the UFC, only Dan Hooker (No. 13) and Arman Tsarukyan (No. 10) are currently ranked in the Top 15 of the lightweight division.

The current UFC rankings have Oliveira atop the lightweight division with Makhachev in fourth behind Poirier and Gaethje. Since Oliveira has already defeated Poirier and Gaethje, Makhachev was the next logical opponent.

At UFC 276, Alex Volkanovski didn't leave much room for interpretation.

First, he defeated the great Max Holloway for the third time, dominating the former champ to defend his featherweight title and close the door on their rivalry.

Then, on no uncertain terms, he reiterated his desire to move on to greener, heavier pastures.

"I just proved to you that I want to be in this Octagon as much as possible,” Volkanovski said after Saturday's fight at T-Mobile Arena, per Damon Martin of MMA Fighting. "I want to be busy. I want to move up [to lightweight] and go for double champ, and I'll keep two divisions busy. Charles [Oliveira], whoever gets that belt, no disrespect, I'd love to move up, get that double-champ status."

He's certainly earned the right to try his hand.

After taking out Holloway via unanimous decision in the co-main event, Volkanovski is now 25-1 overall, 12-0 in the UFC and 4-0 in consecutive title defenses. During the performance, he outlanded Holloway (23-7) by a 199-127 margin, a far greater difference than their two previous matchups. If that's not a cleaned-out division, it's pretty darn close.

There are still bows at featherweight; Josh Emmett or the winner of the bout between Yair Rodriguez and Brian Ortega on July 16 come to mind. Another high-profile name who has thrown himself into the ring is Henry Cejudo. But let's hit the brakes on that one right now. As great as the semi-retired Cejudo was, he's still a flyweight who stretched to make bantamweight. He'd be massively undersized against Volkanovski, a featherweight who has competed at welterweight.

In any case, lightweight is clearly Volk's preferred destination, and he wants to go straight to a title shot. The former rugby player should have no trouble adding the requisite mass. However, with the lightweight belt sitting vacant and with an injured hand clouding Volk's return timeline, his request requires a bit of a thought exercise.

Oliveira will likely be one-half of the lightweight title bout whenever it's announced. But who else might be in the mix for Volk at 155 pounds, regardless of whether he gets to cut the line? Here are five possibilities listed in no particular order.

Charles Oliveira

Let's get the obvious choice out of the way first. You can rearrange Oliveira, Volkanovski, middleweight champ Israel Adesanya and welterweight champ Kamaru Usman at the top of the pound-for-pound list, but no matter how you slice it, this matchup would give you two of the four best fighters on planet Earth.

But here's the rub: Oliveira has repeatedly called for a date with Conor McGregor, whenever McGregor returns from that gruesome leg injury (the general target is early fall).

So that may leave Volkanovski—and everyone else—on the outside looking in when it comes to the lightweight title picture. But there are even more complications. Oliveira recently told Helen Yee Sports that he's willing to move up a weight class if it means securing the McGregor fight. No shade on Oliveira for following the money, but it further complicates the scenarios at 155.

Dustin Poirier

Poirier appears to be on a collision course with Michael Chandler following a cageside fracas at UFC 276. Still, you know he'd love one or both of the following things to happen: 1) another shot at the lightweight title and 2) something with a lot of zeroes behind it.

A mega-bout with Volkanovski would satisfy the second criterion, and it could satisfy the first if Oliveira is more fixed on McGregor to the point that he'd walk away, if only temporarily, from the division he ruled for roughly a year .

If Poirier and Volkanovski were to lock horns, Poirier's pressure and inside boxing style could limit the effectiveness of Volkanovski's feinting and movement.

No matter what else happens, it would be hard to deny a title shot to the winner between these two.

Islam Makhachev

Makhachev is often painted as the third wheel in this division's title race after Oliveira and McGregor. Further, guys like Volkanovski and Poirier have much bigger name value. And third, Makhachev is good. Really good. It seems no one wants to touch the Dagestani with a 10-foot pole, given that he and his power wrestling are a threat to anyone and everyone in the division.

Volkanovski could fill the void, especially if the winner were guaranteed a title shot. This is also an intriguing matchup, with Makhachev's grappling posing a major test to Volkanovski's robust takedown defense. If Makhachev gets on top of you on the mat, it's typically curtains.

Justin Gaethje

No big deal. Just one of the biggest popcorn fights the UFC could make in any division. Gaethje is the wild card on this list, but that's just the way he likes it.

But this is more than surefire violence. How will Volkanovski's power translate to lightweight? How about his wrestling? How about his chin? Gaethje's strength, takedown defense and durability all would pose massive challenges for Volkanovski.

Conor McGregor

In April, Volkanovski told TMZ Sports that he was indeed interested in facing McGregor once the Irishman returns.

"Oh, yeah. … It's always going to interest a lot of people,” Volkanovski said. "It's always going to be a big fight. There's always going to be money. There's going to be a circus. It's going to be entertaining. It's going to be fun. I'll enjoy that whole f--king thing."

Keep in mind that a date between Oliveira and McGregor is not a fait accompli, no matter how badly Oliveira wants it. There's an argument to be made that Volk is a bigger name than Oliveira, and McGregor's power striking would make for a counterweight to Volkanovski's pressure and volume. Volkanovski has also shown a greater aptitude than Oliveira for playing the hype game—a critical component to facing McGregor.

Ultimately, money talks, and a Volkanovski-McGregor matchup may talk the loudest, regardless of whether a title is even on the line.

Charles Oliveira's work was done in 202 seconds.

After he choked out Justin Gaethje—in front of the poor guy's hometown fans, no less—Oliveira swaggered up to Joe Rogan and the post-fight microphone and for one instant peered into the camera as if someone might be hiding inside it.

And through an interpreter, he made one simple, accurate observation:

"There's something missing here."

As shocked and irked as they were, the Phoenix faithful gathered for the main event of Saturday's UFC 274 knew exactly what he meant.

"The champion has a name," the interpreter continued, as if anyone needed the enlightenment. "And it's Charles Oliveira. … This is a message to the entire division."

After handing Gaethje (23-4) just the second submission loss of his career, Oliveira (33-8-1) further established himself as the best fighter in the UFC's best division and beyond. It was a drama-filled week for Oliveira and his fans, a week that saw him become the first fighter ever to lose a belt to the weigh-in scale. Winning, and winning in this fashion, put that drama and the division he still owns into new contexts.

In case you missed it, Oliveira was the lightweight champion until he missed weight Friday, clocking in at 155.5 pounds, or half a pound above the limit for title fights.

Charles Oliveira has missed weight by .5 pounds ahead of #UFC274 and the UFC lightweight title has been vacated.

This is the first time a UFC champion has lost their belt after stepping on the scale and missing the weight limit. pic.twitter.com/eyQW54y5Wz

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) May 6, 2022

Oliveira took one hour and tried again, but again he weighed 155.5 pounds. As a result, he was essentially stripped of the title, with the belt formally considered vacant as of the start of the fight. He also forfeited part of his fight purse to Gaethje. Although Gaethje could become champ with a win, Oliveira would not be eligible to take back the title even in victory.

We can argue over the severity of those sanctions or the importance of half a pound until we're blue in the face, but at the end of the day, all the fighters know the rules (or should). A toe on the line is a toe on the line. The boundaries are there, literal and otherwise. That's sports.

With the MMA world in shock, the UFC threw Oliveira a lifeline, issuing a statement reading in part that "if Oliveira wins, he will be the No. 1 contender for the vacant lightweight championship and will fight the next challenger for the undisputed title belt at a time and place to be determined."

Oliveira didn't seem to need any more motivation once the door closed and the bout began. He certainly didn't appear to show any ill effects from the weight cut.

As one might expect, this was an action fight from the jump and all the way through its short shelf life. With the crowd behind him, Gaethje came out with his left hook loaded and ready. They both connected early—Oliveira with a stiff right hand and Gaethje with leg kicks. Gaethje found a home for the hook, and Oliveira briefly went down. Then it happened again, but Oliveira got up and responded with volume. It was quickly clear that the fight might hinge on sheer, unadulterated durability.

Shots were traded, chins were tested, but it was Oliveira pushing the pace. His output was higher; while both men hit on an identical 63 percent of their significant strikes, per UFC stats, Oliveira landed 30 to Gaethje's 21.

At about the 2:15 mark, an Oliveira right hand dumped Gaethje on the mat. That's not something you see every day. Oliveira pounced and went for the choke but couldn't quite wrap his arm under the neck. With Oliveira constricting, Gaethje somehow spun out, but in the ensuing moments he quickly and unwittingly gave up his back. Oliveira didn't miss a second time.

The choke was deep but still took a while, as Gaethje is as tough as they come. But with his consciousness waning, the tap came. The official result was a rear-naked choke submission at 3:22 of Round 1.

Want to know how good Oliveira is? Gaethje, a college wrestler with 73 percent takedown defense, had not a prayer on the ground. He was in deep water the moment Oliveira descended; you could see it written on his face.

The standup phase seemed like the right wheelhouse for Gaethje in this one. It wasn't, at least not enough, with Oliveira weathering his bombs and responding with stinging accuracy. For Charlie Olives, as the internet loves to call him, this was surely about redemption, but so too was it just another sunny day in the sandbox. A guy lucky enough to be a natural at what he loves to do.

But forget all that claptrap. Do you really want to know how good he is? He's now won 11 straight, dating back to January 2018 and Clay Guida. Have a gander at the UFC record books, where he leads all UFC fighters—not active fighters, all fighters—with 19 total finishes and 16 submission wins. No one else has displayed dominance over a UFC career span as long as Oliveira's, which dates back to 2010. (He's tied for ninth with 29 total UFC fights.)

So what's next? It's a good thing for all of us fans, if not Oliveira himself, that he's fighting in what is truly the cream of the crop right now in the UFC. There's something for everyone at 155 pounds.

There is, of course, the lure of the Irishman. Conor McGregor is purportedly eyeing a summer comeback, and a title shot would surely be tempting to him, just as a massive McGregor payday would be to Oliveira. That must be why McGregor was the only fighter Oliveira mentioned by name after the fight.

"I don't care, just put anybody in front of me," he told Rogan through the translator. "I'm not gonna choose. But hey, Conor McGregor, are you coming up, or are you gonna run away?"

It looks like McGregor has found another potential dance partner in Michael Chandler, who re-arranged Tony Ferguson's skull for him earlier in the night with a front kick from Hades. But even if McGregor-Oliveira doesn't happen, there are other choices—better ones, even. If I was Oliveira, I wouldn't have said Islam Makhachev's name either. The Dagestani Russian is the UFC's No. 3 ranked lightweight (and soon to be higher after Gaethje falls down the list) and tearing a hole through the heart of the division.

Oliveira has indicated previously that Makhachev doesn't deserve a shot. Others, i.e., just about everyone else, beg to differ given Makhachev's otherworldly dominance to date. Time will tell. After the fight, Makhachev renewed his push.

Congrats Charles and see you in AbuDhabi for vacant 🏆 #UFC274

— Makhachev Islam (@MAKHACHEVMMA) May 8, 2022

While we wait for that to iron itself out, there's one question we don't need to answer, even if said answer is not one you can see or touch. Belt or no belt, Charles Oliveira is indeed the champion, and for one of the best to ever do it in the UFC, there is absolutely nothing missing.