UFC 280 Results LIVE: Islam Makhachow challenges Charles Oliveira to win the lightweight title

Islam Makhachev presented Charles Oliveira in UFC 280 main event on Saturday to win the vacant lightweight title, following in the footsteps of his childhood friend Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Khabib ended his undefeated career in 2020 by leaving the team UFC light strap immediately after saving it in Abu Dhabi. And it was there that Makhachov won the same belt – almost two years later – providing a literal successor to Khabib Oliveira to become his compatriot’s spiritual successor in the Octagon. Oliveira won the title vacated by Khabib last May and the Brazilian retained it in December. However, a day before his own scheduled defense against Gaethje this May, Oliveira was stripped of the belt after missing weight. Oliveira will submit Gaethje anyway to establish himself as the No. 1 contender and set up a fight with Makhachov.

This much-anticipated meeting in the ring took place on Saturday at the Etihad Arena, and it was Makhachow, 31, who came out first, submitting Oliveira, 33, with an arm-triangle choke in the 2nd round to win the vacant spot. name. In the co-main event, T.J. Dylashov tried to fight through a dislocated shoulder in a lightweight title fight Aljamain Sterling, but the former champion was largely ineffective and ended up losing by TKO in the second round as Sterling retained the belt. In the previous bout of the evening, the rising star 135 lbs Sean O’Malley won by controversial decision from the former lightweight champion Peter Jan. Follow UFC 280 live action below.