Islam Makhachev Defeats Charles Oliveira To Become The New UFC Lightweight Champion

The UFC 280 returned to Abu Dhabi, as Islam Makhachev defeated Charles Oliveira to become the new UFC Lightweight champion. The event took place at the Etihad Arena on Saturday, October 22, 2022, at 5:00 PM ET.

The UFC 280 was one of the year’s biggest cards, with a fantastic set of fights. Aljamain Sterling defended his Bantamweight title against T.J. Dillashaw as part of the co-main event.

The main event was between Charles Oliveira and Islam Makhachev, as both fighters vied to become the new lightweight champion. It was an absolute packed card that had MMA fans off their seats.

Aljamain Sterling vs T J Dillashaw – Co-Main Event

UFC 280 was on fire as fans were excited to see the fight between Aljamain Sterling and T.J. Dillashaw. Aljamain had to defend his bantamweight title against the no.2 contender in the world, Dillashaw. The build-up to this fight was immense as both fighters were in each other’s faces during the promotions.

The trash talk from both camps was expected, adding more fuel to the fire. A section of MMA fans felt Sterling won the title by luck because TJ Dillashaw came into the fight with a busted shoulder. It was clearly visible that Dillashaw was not moving as he’d wished because of the shoulder injury he suffered during the end of April.

The fight started quickly in the first round, with Dillashaw and Sterling going back to back. They exchanged kicks and punches for the first 20 or 30 seconds.

After this, the fight was all Sterling’s, as he took down Dillashaw by holding his leg and pushing him down on the canvas. This was a mistake on Dillashaw’s part, as everybody knows how good Sterling is on the ground.

Sterling gladly took the opportunity and started dominating Dillashaw from then on. He pounded Dillashaw all over his body. Sterling landed many shots on the body and face, taking a toll on Dillashaw.

This continued for the majority of the first round. T.J. Dillashaw could get back on his feet during the dying seconds of the first round, and he managed to stay on his feet until the bell rang.

The second half continued where it was left off, with Sterling again taking down Dillashaw. Sterling upped the ante in the second round and pounded Dillashaw so much on his face that the referee had to end the fight.

The referee halted the fight once in the first round to allow Dillashaw’s coach to pop his shoulder back in place. His shoulder popped out of the socket again in the second round, and Aljamain took advantage of that situation.

Aljamain Sterling was declared the winner by TKO and retained his bantamweight title.

Charles Oliveira vs Islam Makhachev – Main Event

The main event kicked off at 5:00 PM ET at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. Given the country’s demographics, it was clear that Islam had more supporters in the building. However, that did not impact Charles Oliveira, one of the best lightweight fighters ever to grace the UFC octagon.

There was a lot of talk from both camps, and it was surprising to see that from Islam Makhachev’s team, as they usually stay away from the pre-fight dramas. Both camps were taunting each other during press conferences and fight promotions.

However, only one man could win this fight, and Islam Makhachev emerged victorious with a dominant display over Charles Oliveira.

The first round started quickly as Charles Oliveira came out with a high-flying kick. However, Islam started taking control of the octagon and throwing jabs and punches at Charles Oliveira. At a point in the first round, Islam connected a big blow on Oliveira’s cheeks, which stunned him a little.

Islam Makhachev became confident from that point on. Charles Oliveira took down Islam, but Islam maneuvered his way to get on top of Oliveira. These two fighters are known for their exceptional wrestling, so it was no surprise to see both of them going for the takedown.

Oliveira attempted a triangle on Islam Makhachev, but he was unsuccessful. Both fighters got back up to their feet after a while, but Islam took Oliveira down again on the canvas. The first round was pretty scruffy, as both fighters could not put a stamp on it.

Charles Oliveira looked a little exhausted from all the grounding and pounding he received in the first round. The second round had a more even fight, with both fighters fighting on their feet.

Charles landed some combinations on Islam, and that didn’t come as a surprise because Charles was the better stand-up fighter. Makhachev spent a lot of time trying to take down Oliveira, who was using the support of the cage to stay on his feet.

Islam finally took down Oliveira, and he pinned him to the ground. Makhachev won the fight by submitting the former champion with an arm lock after a few seconds. It only took two rounds for Islam Makhachev to submit Charles Oliveira and become the new UFC Lightweight champion.

Honorable Mention

Sean O’Malley and Peter Yan also fought it out at UFC 280 to become the number 1 contender for the bantamweight title. Sean O’Malley won the fight, but it did not come without controversies. Sean O’Malley is also a character that is always in the spotlight, so the controversial win kind of suited him.

Even O’Malley was not sure he deserved to win the fight when he spoke at a post-match interview. Petr Yan gave a good account of himself during the fight with plenty of takedowns and constant physical pressure, leaving O’Malley in a bloody state.

However, the judges’ scorecards went in O’Malley’s favor, and he was declared the winner by decision.

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