Islam Makhachev and Charles Oliveira shared an emotional moment in the octagon after their fight at UFC 280 for the lightweight title.
The Dagestani fighter submitted Oliveira in round two, earning him the lightweight title and breaking the Brazilian’s 11-fight win streak. The two fighters faced each other after months of anticipation and both were confident of their respective abilities to win the fight.
Team Oliveira and Team Makhachev fired verbal shots at each other in the lead up to the fight, adding to the anticipation and excitement among the fans.
Despite their outward animosity, the two lightweights shared an incredible moment in the octagon when they congratulated each other. Islam Makhachev made it clear that his words before the fight were purely for promotion and that he has “pure respect” for Oliveira. ‘Do Bronx’ in return stated that Makhachev is a “great champion” and thanked him.
Islam Makhachev says he’s not interested in fighting Michael Chandler
Islam Makhachev says he does not see Michael Chandler getting a shot at the title anytime soon and would not be interested in fighting him even if ‘Iron’ beats Dustin Poirier at UFC 281.
In a recent interview posted to Red Corner MMA’s YouTube channel, the 31-year-old stated that Chandler has only fought four times in the UFC and lost twice. He further elaborated that ‘Iron’ does not deserve a title shot even if he is victorious against Poirier.
Watch Islam Makhachev’s video from the 1:57 mark below:
Interestingly, former UFC title challenger Chael Sonnen recently claimed on his YouTube channel that he believes Makhachev will not be able to hold Chandler down and that ‘Iron’ possesses the necessary skills to get back up on his feet if need be.
It remains to be seen whether a future matchup between the two will be arranged by the UFC. In a recent interview with MMA on Point, Chandler backtracked on his earlier comments about the Dagestani fighter not having an impressive resume and said that Makhachev is the champion.
‘Iron’ also stated his intention to aim for a title shot if he wins against Dustin Poirier at UFC 281. He said that there is a possibility for him to be a backup fighter for UFC 284 in February and that he could potentially fight for the title next year if he beats ‘The Diamond’.
Watch Chandler’s interview with MMA on Point from 4:35 below: