Even though Halloween has not happened yet, UFC fans are likely to find this weekend to be just as thrilling as opening presents on Christmas morning. UFC 280 features two championship bouts at the top of its fight program, one in each of the arguably two most competitive weight classes in the company.
Preview:
Charles Oliveira would have entered this battle already with the UFC lightweight championship around his waist if it weren’t for the contentious issue of a missed weight cut. He has won eleven matches in a row, and his last three finishes have been victories over all-time greats Michael Chandler, Dustin Poirier, and Justin Gaethje. He is now on a run that will go down in history. This next weekend, he will be facing Islam Makhachev, who was proclaimed by previous champion and possible greatest of all time Khabib Nurmagomedov to be the next in line to inherit the throne.
Makhachev has earned the opportunity to compete for the championship by winning 10 consecutive bouts, including four straight finishes in which he has seemed to be unbeatable once the fight has been taken to the mat. As they engage in a fight for one of the most coveted belts in the history of all combat sports, these two grapplers, who are just as remarkable yet couldn’t be more different from one another, will put on a show for the viewers.
The co-main event is almost as interesting as the main event, as the bantamweight championship will be at stake and the reigning champion, Aljamain Sterling, will attempt to defend his title against T.J. Dillashaw, a previous champion. Sterling was able to win the championship despite the contentious conditions, as Petr Yan’s illegal knee put an end to the Long Islander’s chances of continuing. In the rematch between the two of them, he secured his title as champion with a win that was more convincing, though not outright definitive.
UFC 280 Fight Cards:
- Main events: Charles Oliveira vs Islam Makhachev – for vacant UFC Lightweight Championship
- Aljamain Sterling (c) vs TJ Dillashaw – for UFC Bantamweight Championship
- Petr Yan vs Sean O’Malley
- Beneil Dariush vs Mateusz Gamrot
- Katlyn Chookagian vs Manon Fiorot
Preliminary card
- Belal Muhammad vs Sean Brady
- Makhmud Muradov vs Caio Borralho
- Nikita Krylov vs Volkan Oezdemir
- Zubaira Tukhugov vs Lucas Almeida
- Magomed Mustafaev vs Yamato Nishikawa
- Abubakar Nurmagomedov vs Gadzhi Omargadzhiev
- Armen Petrosyan vs AJ Dobson
- Muhammad Mokaev vs Malcolm Gordon
- Lina Lansberg vs Karol Rosa