Professional Fights
UFC 280 preview: Oliveira to produce the upset?
The UFC is back this weekend with what is arguably the best card of the year so far. It is headlined by Charles Oliveira in a clash at the top of the lightweight division, and co-headlined by a bantamweight title fight between Aljamain Sterling and T.J. Dillashaw.
The main event will take place at 7pm on the 22nd of October at the Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi.
We preview the best of the action below.
Oliveira v Makhachev: War on the canvas
Charles Oliveira was the undisputed lightweight champion prior to having his title stripped following him missing weight by half a pound earlier this year. Title or no title, Oliveira is the man to beat in the division having won all of his last 11 fights.
Not only has “Do Bronx” won his last 11 fights, but he won them all in spectacular fashion, finishing 10 of the 11 within the distance. Oliveira’s legacy will be great, boasting victories over Justin Gaethje, Michael Chandler and Dustin Poirier in just his last three bouts.
Surprisingly to many, Oliveira heads into this bout as the underdog at odds of 11/8. The Brazilian is slick on the ground and won’t be scared to take it there, but also has the ability to strike with fluidity, boasting nine knockouts throughout his career.
However, if there was one man to take down the top of the division, it is Islam Makhachev. Hailing from Dagestan, Makhachev has an impressive resume with 22 wins to just one loss. He isn’t one to take his time either, having finished all but eight of those bouts by stoppage, including his last four bouts which didn’t make it to the judges’ scorecards.
Additionally, Makhachev will be eager to win this fight as it will improve his number of straight wins from 10 to 11, tying Oliveira’s current form, but with the champ out of the way, who would stand in his way to stop him going even further?
Makhachev’s game is characterised by his wrestling, and the 31-year-old has won 10 of his fights by submission. The game plan for the 4/7 favourite will most certainly be to take the fight to the canvas, but he will need to stay weary as Oliveira is no stranger to Jiu-Jitsu, being a black belt himself.
This weekend we will find out who has the more polished ground game, and it’s likely that is where the fight will be won or lost. The odds don’t suggest this match will go the distance, at 5/2 that it makes it to the final bell.
Check out all the latest betting offers at William Hill
Aljamain Sterling v T.J. Dillashaw: Sterling to defend the title?
This bantamweight title fight could be a sell out main event in itself. Aljamain Sterling looks to defend his title after successfully silencing the critics last time out in his split decision win over Petr Yan – another fighter gracing this UFC 280 main event.
Sterling enters the octagon as the 4/7 favourite and holds an impressive record of 21-3. Some may argue he doesn’t deserve his current title though, which he won following the controversial disqualification of Yan in the pair’s original bout last May.
Sterling’s main weapon in offence is his slick submission skills, using his size and strength advantage to put his opponents in sticky situations. The “Funk Master” is 4/1 to win by submission, which would mark his ninth submission victory.
T.J. Dillashaw is shooting for a record himself, hoping to become only the second man in UFC history to obtain the same belt on three separate occasions. Dillashaw is the slightly older man, entering this weekend’s bout at 36 years old.
Dillashaw took a short break from the octagon after his 2019 loss to Henry Cejudo but won his comeback bout against Cory Sandhagen last year in a highly entertaining matchup. That victory took his record to 17-4 with eight of his victories coming by way of knockout.
The Californian is currently 11/8 to clinch the victory, but it may come down to who can control the game, as Sterling will want to use his size and grappling prowess to submit Dillashaw, whereas Dillashaw’s road to victory seems to be more in the striking department. He is 4/1 to produce a knockout blow.
This is shaping up to be another electric matchup, with the victory being crucial in shaping the legacy of both fighters. This fight may be going all the way to the judges’ scorecards however, with the tie 8/15 to go the distance.
