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We have begun the countdown to the most anticipated event of the year, UFC 280. Charles Oliveira and Islam Makhachev will finally meet in Abu Dhabi and we will finally get a champion in the lightweight division after the position has been empty for five months.
Who, how, and when will win is currently difficult and even impossible to predict. Anyway, this Saturday according to our time, probably the best show of the year awaits us, and the fighters have already arrived in Abu Dhabi, where the final duties are being performed.
Yesterday, MMA Junkie hosted Diego Lima, Oliveira's trainer, who of course talked about his fighter and his preparations, but he also touched on Khabib and gave a very interesting perspective. Namely, Lima believes that Khabib is putting too much pressure on Makhachev's back with his media appearances and eulogies, which could cost them on Saturday.
“Charles is stronger than him, and Charles has more techniques than him, so that doesn’t scare me,” Lima told MMA Junkie. “Because if Makhachev brings him to the floor, Charles will beat him. And if Makhachev tries to stay up, Charles will knock him out”.
He continued, “It’s going to be in the first or second round, a knockout”.
Oliveira will beat Khabib's protege.
“That’s not good what Khabib is doing, that psychological thing, because he’s a very good guy, a very good fighter, and he was never that guy that was trash talking and things like that,” Lima said.
“It’s not good for Makhachev, because he needed Khabib to get the belt, and Makhachev doesn’t need that, because he’s a good fighter too. Khabib brought a very big responsibility for Makhachev, because after Saturday when Makhachev loses, what is he gonna do? Is he coming back? Is he fighting again?” How much pressure was on Makhachev, we will see on Saturday.
What we all know right now is that we are in for a bomb of a show, and all the other things are just a bonus on top of that.