Islam Makhachev scored one of the biggest wins in recent MMA history at UFC 280, submitting Charles Oliveira in the second round to claim the vacant lightweight championship.
Makhachev won all areas of the fight from the opening bell, landing good shots on the feet and scoring an early takedown. Oliveira, the UFC’s all-time leader in submission wins, threatened with a few submission attempts but was unable to land anything due to Makhachev’s superior positioning.
Makhachev also landed a few punches in the opening frame that seemed to rattle Oliveira. The same would happen in the second round, but this time Makhachev did not allow Oliveira to survive.
After a right hand sent Oliveira to the canvas, Makhachev followed and quickly closed with an arm triangle that forced Oliveira to tap at 3:16 of round 2.
Makhachev did what all of Oliveira’s recent opponents failed to do. Oliveira had been rocked in several of his recent fights, but always managed to find a way to turn things around and get the win. This ability to survive in bad spots saw Oliveira win the lightweight belt in December 2021 with a TKO victory over Michael Chandler and a successful defense against Dustin Poirier.
In his last outing, Oliveira had turned around after an early scare, dispatching Justin Gaethje. However, Oliveira lost the title prior to that fight, having missed weight for the fight, leaving the belt vacant for the fight with Makhachev.
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The threat of Makhachev’s takedowns led Oliveira to throw fewer punches than normal and allow Makhachev to win the punch exchanges before presenting one of the most dangerous ground fighters in UFC history.
After the fight, Makhachev, along with trainer and mentor Khabib Nurmagomedov, called featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski to the ring to make an official challenge to face him for the lightweight belt in Australia. Volkanovski accepted the challenge before the two champions shook hands.
Makhachev has now won 11 straight fights since his only career loss, a 2015 TKO loss to Adriano Martins. The title win fulfilled a promise by Nurmagomedov’s late father, Abdulmanap, who once said that after his son retired, it would be Makhachev who would step forward as the best 155-pound fighter in the sport.
CBS Sports was with you all Saturday, bringing you all the results and highlights from UFC 280 below.
UFC 280 card and results
- Islam Makhachev def. Charles Oliveira via second round submission (head and arm choke)
- Aljamain Sterling (c) def. TJ Dillashaw by second round TKO (fists)
- Sean O’Malley defeated. Petr Yan by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
- Beneil Dariush defeated. Matuesz Gamrot by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
- Manon Fiorot def. Katlyn Chookagian by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Belal Muhammad defeated. Sean Brady by second round TKO (fists)
- Caio Borralho def. Makhmud Muradov by decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
- Nikita Krylov defeated. Volkan Oezdemir by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
- Abubakar Nurmagomedov def. Gadzhi Omargadzhiev by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
- Armen Petrosyan defeated. AJ Dobson by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Muhammad Mokaev def. Malcolm Gordon via third round submission (armbar)
- Karol Rosa def. Lina Lansberg by majority decision (29-27, 29-27, 28-28)