Charles Oliveira will attempt to re-gain champion status at UFC’s October 22nd pay-per-view event, facing Islam Makhachev for the vacant lightweight championship.
The matchup was announced during UFC’s “Fight Night” broadcast Saturday. The bout is set to take place during UFC 280 at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.
Oliveira lost his title earlier this year after missing weight for a title bout. While he later won in his appearance at UFC 274 against Justin Gaethje, issues on the scale meant that he had to vacate the belt afterward.
Oliveira’s quick first-round submission against Gaethje meant that he would at least be the top name in the division, thus including him in the upcoming matchup for the vacant title.
Oliveira’s previous title reign included finish wins over high-profile names Michael Chandler and Dustin Poirier.
Makhachev is being lined up for a title fight after attaining a 10-fight winning streak from 2016 to 2022. Recent appearances include a main event victory over Thiago Moises and victories over names like Drew Dober and Bobby Green.
Makhachev is currently ranked fourth in the lightweight division. He is the highest-ranked fighter in the division that has never competed in a title bout before
There is still a lot that has yet to be announced for UFC 280. The sole other known bout for the card currently is a bout between Belal Muhammad and Sean Brady.
Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that Oliveira is the current lightweight champion. The newest version of the article has been changed to reflect that he is a former titleholder.
Knockdown News 