UFC 280 is coming this weekend to Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, and to TV screens all over the world. In what is potentially the biggest event of the year, a UFC lightweight title fight is filled in the main event slot.
Charles Oliveira (33-8) is set to take on Islam Makhachev (22-1) for the currently vacant lightweight strap on Saturday, October 22. Oliveira is on an 11-fight win streak, going up against Makhachev, who has a 10-fight win streak going on.
These two are undoubtedly the best lightweights in the world right now, and it should be a fight to remember, especially when betting on MMA fights.
Charles Oliveira vs Islam Makhachev: Facts & Trends
- Oliveira has been the underdog in now four of his last six fights, including this one coming up.
- Makhachev is currently with the lowest odds of winning in his whole career.
- Main card favorites are 78-38 so far in the UFC in 2022.
- Underdogs from +100 to +150 are 25-23 in 2022 so far.
Oliveira vs. Makhachev: Event Info & Odds
- Etihad Arena, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
- October 22, 2022
- 2 PM ET
- Oliveira (+165) vs. Makhachev (-190)
Oliveira vs. Makhachev: Betting Previews
Betting on Charles Oliveira
Charles Oliveira is currently on a ridiculous 11-fight winning streak. That is almost unheard of in the sport of MMA, especially in the UFC against the best in the world.
Oliveira has faced the best of the best in the UFC and has come out on top on the other side. He has had over 40 professional fights, and it seems like he is just breaking into his prime, seeing the way he attacks every opponent with the same intensity and bad intentions and making adjustments to whatever the fight throws at him.
His high-pressure style has allowed him to hurt his opponents on the feet early and often plus really create this kind of chaos that Oliveira seems to thrive in. Within that chaos, his grappling becomes even more dangerous with his unorthodox styles and incredible ability to lock up submissions from multiple positions around the octagon.
Again, the resume and career of Oliveira speak for themselves. He has fought back from multiple losing skids in his twenties to being now one of the most dominant champions in the division’s history, creating arguments for who is the greatest lightweight champion ever.
Betting on Islam Makhachev
Makhachev is going into this fight, the narrative being that he is the second coming of Khabib Nurmagomedov. Makhachev has shown many similarities with his long-time friend and training partner – now head coach.
Makhachev has been dominant in his MMA career so far and has only one blemish on his record. Is it a coincidence that it was against a Brazilian grappler? We aren’t sure because of the amount of time since then, but that is something to think about.
Makhachev is someone that can really dominate anyone on the ground with his background in Combat Sambo. The way he uses his legs and hips in wrestling is something many fighters aren’t used to feeling in the cage. We have seen Oliveira lose to ground and pound before, so that brings up the question of if he will be able to handle Makhachev’s dominance.
Khabib’s legacy has to be a factor in Makhachev’s head leading up to this. Even the most stoic, well-practiced, present people would have issues dealing with this kind of pressure. The doubt and anxiety are there; it’s just up to Oliveira to induce them to come out during the bout.
Injury Report
No reported injuries in the lead-up to this fight. Most of the time, the fighter doesn’t report any injuries leading up to the fight because that gives their opponent an unfair advantage in knowing what parts of their body to attack.
Oliveira vs. Makhachev: Picks & Predictions
After a lot of back and forth, I have to go with Charles Oliveira. It has been too many times when everyone is betting against Oliveira, and he proves us wrong. He is the best lightweight in the world for a reason.
The way Oliveira has been fighting -in his last handful of appearances in the octagon- has been like he is possessed with something greater than anything anyone else has to give in there. He is marching his opponents down with no fear and imposing his will upon them until they submit.
He is coming into this with supreme confidence in his abilities, and that alone has more pull for me than the confidence coming from Makhachev’s side… even though you usually never bet against a wrestler like Makhachev.
Makhachev has never been up against anybody in the top 10 in the world. His best win was a short-notice one against a struggling Dan Hooker in between weight classes. This is something you need to think about when betting on this fight.
If Makhachev doesn’t make easy work of Oliveira, he has not tapped into the part of his brain where the pressure starts, especially if -all of a sudden- what he does to everyone else doesn’t work in the same manner in this title fight main event, or if Oliveira sticks him in the stomach with a switch front kick and then a check-left hook wobbles him.
This can be an opportunity for Oliveira to bring chaos and a moment of self-doubt that Makhachev really hasn’t had in the octagon yet, besides a flash KO loss years ago. Also, if Dustin Poirer could lock in a pretty good guillotine on Khabib, Oliveira has to be able to on Makhachev, right?
This fight needs to -and will- get finished within two rounds. Makhachev is going to get frustrated, and Oliveira is going to clip him by pushing him up against the cage, landing a short left hook or straight right hand.
As stated before, the pressure and negativity are there, and it is up to Oliveira to start fast and do anything he can to induce the chaos that tends to follow him when he steps into the octagon. Makhachev’s world is on the ground up against the cage… what happens if Oliveira makes it his world in there on Saturday?
The Pick
Charles Oliveira moneyline +165
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