Two UFC titles will be on the line at UFC 280 on Saturday. Charles Oliveira and Islam Makhachev fight in the main event for the vacant UFC lightweight championship. And in the co-main event, bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling defends his belt against former division champ TJ Dillashaw at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi (ESPN+ PPV at 2 p.m. ET, with prelims on ESPNEWS/ESPN+ at 10 a.m.).
Oliveira (33-8), ESPN's No. 2 pound-for-pound fighter, has won in each of his last three title fights, including a first-round submission win over Justin Gaethje in May. Makhachev (22-1) enters the bout following a first-round knockout against Bobby Green in February.
Sterling (21-3) will make his second title defense after earning a split-decision win over Petr Yan in April. Dillashaw (18-4) will be making his eighth appearance in a UFC title fight.
There's plenty of intrigue ahead of this stacked fight card. Is Makhachev ready for his moment? Even as a betting favorite is Sterling being underestimated? What does Dillashaw have to do to reclaim the bantamweight throne?
Former UFC fighter and current ESPN MMA analyst Megan Anderson breaks down both title matchups ahead of UFC 280.
Lightweight title fight: Charles Oliveira vs. Islam Makhachev
How did we get here?
We've watched Oliveira grow up in the UFC, and he's fought the best of the best in two divisions (he fought at featherweight from 2012 through 2016). In the last two years, Oliveira has put away each of the top fighters and most notable names in the lightweight division. He knocked out Michael Chandler and submitted Dustin Poirier in 2021, then followed those finishes with a submission win over Gaethje.
Oliveira is showing that he's so much more than his stellar grappling. Those who follow the sport know Oliveira for his Brazilian jiu-jitsu, but he's showing an evolution in his striking. He's going out there and dropping opponents.
Although he had his issues with the weight cut ahead of his bout with Gaethje, which led to him being stripped of the title, the fight world recognizes Oliveira as the champ, and deservingly so.
Makhachev also comes into this fight riding an extensive win streak. In theory, there were plenty of matchups available against fighters ahead of him in the rankings after his wins over Dan Hooker and Green, but Makhachev has been so dominant that he ended up with the title shot.
Makhachev has shown that he's ready for this type of opportunity. He's in entertaining fights while displaying his world-class grappling and wrestling. No one has found a way to beat him in the last seven years. And he's becoming dominant in the same way his mentor and coach, Khabib Nurmagomedov, was.