“Wherever the fight goes I am comfortable, so if some fighters get uncomfortable in a certain area, I will focus on taking them there.”
Finding an area where Makhachev is uncomfortable could prove quite difficult, as the streaking contender has looked right at home inside the Octagon over the last seven years.
Makhachev enters Saturday’s contest on a 10-fight winning streak and sporting a 22-1 record overall. Heralded as the “heir to the throne“ following the retirement of his long-time training partner turned coach Khabib Nurmagomedov, the 31-year-old has used the last two years doing his best to validate those projections and promises.
In 2021, he scored consecutive submission wins over Drew Dober, Thiago Moises, and Dan Hooker to climb into contention, and earlier this year, he made quick work of short-notice replacement Bobby Green, dispatching the veteran lightweight in the first round.
RELATED: The 10: UFC Lightweight Title Fights | Coach Conversation
While some will argue that Makhachev has yet to face, let alone beat, anyone in the upper echelon of the UFC’s 155-pound weight class, it’s been through no fault of his own, as key matchups have been scuttled by injuries to his opponents, and the marquee names haven’t exactly been rushing to sign up to share the Octagon with him.
Oliveira showed no hesitation, however, and knows he has his work cut out for him in the UFC 280 main event.
“He has a great record in the UFC, and the UFC has the best fighters,” he said of Makhachev, maintaining his “say little and let my actions speak for me” approach. “All I focus on is my training. I will be comfortable wherever the fight goes.”
Having spent the last five-plus months as the “king without a crown,” one would think a victory on Saturday might mean a little more to Oliveira.
It’s a chance to get his title back, to leave no question as to who the top lightweight in the UFC (and the sport) is now, and to extend his winning streak to an even dozen, while continuing to inch closer to becoming the fighter with the most victories in UFC history.
But for the Brazilian, Saturday night is simply a chance to earn another win. And should he emerge victorious, his focus will shift to the same place it does following each and every trip into the Octagon.
“All wins in the UFC are big,” he said, refusing to put any greater importance or significance on this weekend’s contest. “(As for what’s next), I will get ready for my next fight; I like to stay active.”
