UFC 280 takes place on the 22nd of October with Charles Oliveira fighting against Islam Makhachev for the vacant lightweight title headlines the event. Oliveira will be desperate to win the title he formerly held, which he lost prior to UFC 274 after he failed to lose enough weight to face Justin Gaethje.
Oliveira is arguably the strongest fighter in the lightweight division, the fighter that joined the UFC after training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has a record of 10 UFC submissions.
Russian Makhachev is seen by many as an underdog for the bout as the title is only vacant due to Oliveira missing weight by half a pound and many still see the Brazilian as the title holder, but the UFC has not been shy of surprising winners in its past few years. Some believe he could be the next Khabib Nurmagomedov due to his wrestling fighting style, however, he has not recorded many finishes throughout his career and his fighting CV simply does not compare to the Brazilian’s.
A bet can be placed on the main event using Betfair’s welcome offer bet 10 get 30, in which a £10 bet can be placed on the fight, and in return, you will receive £30 in free bet bonuses.
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Another huge title fight on the card is the Bantamweight bout between Aljamain Sterling and T.J Dillashaw. Sterling beat Petr Yan via disqualification to originally claiming the title and will be favored by many going into the fight due to the fact he has won at this weight before whereas Dillashaw has never been a UFC champion and has only recently moved into the weight division.
Sterling is in a seemingly unstoppable run of form after winning seven fights in a row including a defense of his title against the man he won it against Yan.
Yan will also fight at in the Abu Dhabi event against Sean O’Malley, with Yan being a former UFC champion, the American faces the biggest test of his career and will find himself lucky just to get the chance to fight against a highly rated and vastly experienced fighter. Yan will also be fueled by the desperation to fight back and regain some ground following his back-to-back defeats against Sterling which means he is not a title holder anymore.
We give this lineup a 🔟/🔟
Don’t miss the biggest names in the business grapple it out #InAbuDhabi!
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Katlyn Chookagian and Manon Fiorot is another intriguing clash at the Etihad Arena, the American is ranked fourth in the world currently and is on a run of four straight victories.
Frenchwoman Fiorot has only fought in the Octagon four times and been victorious each and every time, she is very much an upcoming fighter and much less experienced than Chookagian which could make all of the difference in this fight, this is certainly her toughest fight so far against one of the world’s best fighters and will present a remarkable test.
Chookagian’s tall frame could also make a huge difference with the additional reach potentially allowing her to control her opponent and defend her strikes more easily. UFC 280 promises to be as exciting a contest as they come, veterans against rising stars, another top event awaits.