Charles Oliveira vs. Islam Makhachev booked for lightweight title fight at UFC 280

Charles Oliveira and Islam Makhachev are finally scheduled to do battle with the vacant lightweight title up for grabs at UFC 280, which is scheduled for Oct. 22 in Abu Dhabi.

The matchup was officially announced during the UFC Long Island card on Saturday.

Undefeated in his past 11 fights, Oliveira has been a force of nature in the lightweight division while dismantling every single opponent he’s faced since 2018. Oliveira has finished 10 out of his last 11 opponents, which is just an astonishing rate, especially when considering he’s pulled off three consecutive wins over Justin Gaethje, Dustin Poirier and Michael Chandler.

Unfortunately, Oliveira’s rear-naked choke submission win against Gaethje was marred by a weight miss prior to the fight, which cost him the UFC lightweight title. That’s why he’ll be competing for a vacant belt when Oliveira returns to action for his next challenge against one of the most highly-touted fighters in the world right now.

At 22-1, Makhachev has earned a reputation as one of the toughest outs in the entire UFC as he carries on the legacy started by his friend and coach Khabib Nurmagomedov.

The Russian mauler has only gotten better with time while building a 10-fight win streak including four straight finishes with three submissions and a knockout in his last outing over Bobby Green.

Now Makhachev will attempt to secure his first UFC title while facing Oliveira in what should be one of the most highly anticipated fights of the year.