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For years, many have raged about the qualities of Islam Makhachev. The likes of Joe Rogan and Daniel Cormier have stated that despite him not beating any top-ranked contenders in the lightweight division, the Dagestani native was the man to beat at 155 lbs.
And it seemed that many online bookmakers agreed with them. OddsChecker, which compares odds and provides free offers on combat sports, has made the Russian a favourite in every fight he has competed in, including his challenge for the title at UFC 280, which had taken many by surprise.
The 31-year-old is a student of the late Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, father to former champion Khabib and the founder of Eagles MMA, where both men have honed their craft. And following Khabib's retirement two years ago, Makhachev was thought to be the next in line to the throne. One man who didn't get that script was Charles Oliveira.
The Brazilian has embarked on a monster streak of his own, finishing all of the division's major stars. He knocked out Michael Chandler at UFC 262 to secure the Lightweight Championship before choking out Dustin Poirier - fresh off the back of knocking out Conor McGregor - to defend the gold.
He would follow that up with his most difficult challenge yet, a date at UFC 274 with Justin Gaethje. The Highlight was also no match for Oliveira, who choked him out in the second round, firing himself to superstardom in the process.
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Despite victory in that bout, Do Bronx still lost the title, thanks to missing weight (coming in half a pound over the 155 lbs limit).
Many fans and experts thought the decision from the powers that be was harsh. Oliveira had been on a tear, winning his last ten fights on the spin, and everyone knew that - whether he held the belt or not - he was the true champion. At UFC 280, he had the chance to prove it. The man that stood in his way? Islam Makhachev.
Makhachev proves that the hype is real
Despite the experts claiming that he was the real deal, many fans were unconvinced. Before the bout with Oliveira, the biggest victory on his resume was a first-round stoppage against Dan Hooker.
His career bears similarities to that of his teammate-turn-coach Khabib. Many thought that Nurmagomedov's resume wasn't that impressive heading into his bout with Conor McGregor - which became the highest-grossing MMA fight of all time at UFC 229. But his fourth-round submission victory over the Irishman, followed by back-to-back submission victories in the title defences against Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje, proved that he was all that and more.
And almost two years to the day since The Eagle's final fight, his brethren were there to bring the crown back to Dagestan.
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As mentioned, Makhachev entered the bout with Oliveira as a betting favourite and lived up to the billing in Abu Dhabi. He pressed the Brazilian former champion in the first round, taking down the Sao Paolo native at will. Do Bronx attempted to utilise his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu from the bottom, firing off submission attempts left, right and centre. But the Russian was always in control, and he proved that in the second round.
The pair went toe-to-toe in the second stanza, something that surprised those in attendance, as Oliveira was meant to be the better striker of the pair. But it was Makhachev who got the better of his opponent and dropped him with a huge right hand.
In the build-up to the fight, the Russian had mentioned that many of Oliveira's opponents were scared to take things to the ground when they had him hurt and that this was a pattern he would not repeat. And he was a man of his word, following Oliveira to the mat and finishing him with an arm-triangle choke.
Khabib and the rest of the team immediately entered the cage to celebrate with their newest champion. Still, only one thing was on Makhachev's mind, securing the top spot in the pound-for-pound rankings by defeating Alexander Volkanowski in Australia. Should that come to fruition, we imagine that the bookies will make him the favourite for that bout as well.
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