It’s been a quiet start to the autumn season in terms of UFC action with three Apex events in a row leaving fans with good fights but a lack of atmosphere. However, that is all about to change.
UFC 280 is the most stacked card of the year and has the potential of becoming the greatest roster of fighters on a single card, ever. Let’s take a look at what’s in store on Saturday night.
Where: Etihad Arena, Yas Island, United Arab Emirates
When: Saturday 22nd October, from 3pm onwards.
How To Watch:
Tune into the early prelims at 3pm via UFC Fight Pass. BT Sport coverage begins with Prelims at 5pm, main event moves over to BT Sport Box Office at 7pm.
BT Sport Box Office’s coverage will cost £19.95 to UK viewers.
Oliveira vs Makhachev
The ultimate lightweight match up takes place this weekend, with the unofficial champion Charles Oliveira looking to regain what was once against one of the hottest prospects in the sport, Islam Makhachev, a Dagestani grappler learning under the greatest lightweight the sport has produced, Khabib Nurmagomedov.
In Oliveira’s locker is over ten years of UFC experience. He had an up and down career up until 2017, where he stopped the rot after losing to now-commentator Paul Felder, and he hasn’t lost since.
He fought his way to the top of wins charts, being fifth in the record books for most ever wins and remains on the second longest lightweight win streak in history, with 11 in a row. He has the most finishes in UFC history, most submissions and most post-fight bonuses. Do Bronx really has it all and he’s out to take back the title he lost when he fought Justin Gaethje in May after narrowly missing weight.
In the opposite corner, Islam Makhachev has the opportunity to continue a similar journey to Oliveira. Makhachev is just one win behind Oliveira with a ten fight win streak, and also has a huge bag of tricks to call upon in a sticky situation. Knockouts, submissions, TKOs, Khabib’s prodige can do it all.
The match-up will no doubt involve a feeling-out process during the first round, but the two fighters will be more than happy to take this to the final seconds. Oliveira’s submissions are always dangerous, no matter how good an opponent’s defence is. Makhachev is brave, confident and the only man who can go toe-to-toe with the number one. This one should be a thriller!
The winner of the fight is pretty much guaranteed to face Alexander Volkanovski in Brazil next year too, with the Australian featherweight champion eyeing up glory in another division after dominating his own.
Sterling vs Dillashaw
Aljamain Sterling came around his bantamweight title in a strange way. A Petr Yan knee hit him while he was downed and he lifted the title in controversial circumstances after the Russian was disqualified for his strike. A few months later, the pair rematched with Yan vowing to destroy his opponent after winning the belt in such circumstances, but Sterling expertly dispatched Yan on the night and proved that he is a worthy champion. He’s another expert grappler with an eye for an unorthodox strike or two, and definitely a worthy challenge for a former champion.
TJ Dillashaw might not be every fans’ cup of tea, after holding feuds with former teammates like Cody Garbrandt and testing positive for EPO, which saw him take a two-year hiatus from the sport. Regardless of that, Dillashaw is one of the greatest bantamweights to ever do it. A masterful striker and speedy technician, you never get a moment's rest with Dillashaw who fights like he’s left the stove on back home.
Expect Sterling to try and keep Dillashaw away with takedown attempts and the threat of ground game. Dillashaw will likely be headhunting until the later rounds, but he can fight from his back too if he gets in trouble. This one really could go either way and it should be a perfect title fight.
Other Fights To Watch:
There’s plenty of other bangers to watch on Saturday afternoon. Before the title fights we have Petr Yan vs Sean O’Malley. It is a bizarre match up between one of the most ruthless, efficient and serious fighters on the roster and ‘Suga’ Sean, the creative, rainbow-haired kickboxing aficionado with a penchant for style over substance. It’s insane that these two are fighting given the different levels of experience, but it should be a banger regardless.
Beneil Dariush enters the cage on Saturday on a seven-fight win streak and faces Mateusz Gamrot in a title eliminator of sorts in the lightweight divisions as long as they put on a show on the night. Other great names on the card include Katlyn Chookagian vs Manon Fiorot, Belal Muhammad vs Sean Brady and Nikita Krylov vs Volkan Oezdemir.
If you want a reason to tune in early, make sure you don’t miss Muhammad Mokaev, a Dagestani-English fighter who is eyeing up a path to the title aged just 22. He faces Canada’s Malcolm Gordon in one of the contenders for ‘fight of the night’ before it's even begun.
Full Card:
Charles Oliveira vs Islam Makhachev (Lightweight title fight)
Aljamain Sterling (champion) vs TJ Dillashaw (Bantamweight title fight)
Petr Yan vs Sean O’Malley (Bantamweight)
Beneil Dariush vs Mateusz Gamrot (Lightweight)
Katlyn Chookagian vs Manon Fiorot (W Flyweight)
Belal Muhammad vs Sean Brady (Welterweight)
Makhmud Muradov vs Caio Borralho (Middleweight)
Nikita Krylov vs Volkan Oezdemir (Light Heavyweight)
Zubaira Tukhugov vs Lucas Almeida (Featherweight)
Abubakar Nurmagomedov vs Gadzhi Omargadzhiev (Welterweight)
Armen Petrosyan vs AJ Dobson (Middleweight)
Muhammad Mokaev vs Malcolm Gordon (Flyweight)
Karol Rosa vs Lina Lansberg (W Bantamweight)
*18+ | BeGambleAware
