Two titles up for grabs at UFC 280

UFC 280, set for the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on the evening of Saturday, will see both the vacant lightweight championship and bantamweight championship up for grabs.

The main event is a fight for the lightweight belt between Charles Oliveira (33-8, 1 NC) and Islam Makhachev (22-1). Oliveira has recorded 11 straight wins but was stripped of the lightweight title ahead of his last match against Justin Gaethje at UFC 274 in May of this year. The 33-year-old Brazilian nonetheless defeated Gaethje via rear-naked choke to extend the UFC record for most submissions (16) and finishes (19).

Makhachev, meanwhile, has certainly earned his shot at the belt (formerly held by his mentor Khabib Nurmagomedov) thanks to 10 straight wins – with his victims including high-class opponents such as Thiago Moises, Dan Hooker and Bobby Green.

Oliveira’s coach, Alireza Noei, believes that Makhachev is an even more dangerous opponent than Nurmagomedov: “Islam Makhachev is very good at wrestling. I think even better than Khabib, who is another athlete from Dagestan. He is better, certainly, of course, because he is a wrestler. Khabib isn’t. Khabib is a Sambo fighter, Islam has also done Sambo, but he is a wrestler first and then a Sambo fighter and then an MMA fighter.”

The co-main sees Aljamain Sterling (21-3) look for a second successful defence of his bantamweight championship, as he takes on former division champion T.J. Dillashaw (17-4). Sterling, who won the belt under controversial circumstances with a DQ victory against Petr Yan last year, underlined his championship status with a split-decision win over the same opponent back in April.

Dillashaw is a two-time bantamweight champion and returned to the weight division last year with a split decision win over Cory Sandhagen – but allegations of the use of performance-enhancers continue to overshadow him.

“The new CEO of EPO is TJ Dillaroids,” said Sterling of his opponent. “He’s a tough dude but I don’t think he’s done anything in his career fairly. I really do think he’s cheated for all his career…I’m expecting him to come in there doing what he needs to do to win, which is cheat. I plan on just being the better man that night.”

The main card also features a potential thriller between former bantamweight champion Petr Yan and rising star Sean O’Malley; Beneil Dariush v Mateusz Gamrot in the lightweight category; and a women’s flyweight opener between Katlyn Chookagian and Manon Fiorot.

UFC 280 – Main card

- Main event: Vacant lightweight championship: Charles Oliveira v Islam Makhachev

- Co-main: Bantamweight championship: Aljamain Sterling v T.J. Dillashaw

- Bantamweight: Petr Yan v Sean O’Malley

- Lightweight: Beneil Dariush v Mateusz Gamrot

- Women’s flyweight: Katlyn Chookagian v Manon Fiorot

* Watch UFC 280 LIVE on DStv *