UFC 280 LIVE results: Islam Makhachev submits Charles Oliveira to win lightweight title
Follow live reaction as Makhachev claims the vacant lightweight title with a second-round win over former champion Oliveira
Islam Makhachev submitted Charles Oliveira in the UFC 280 main event on Saturday to win the vacant lightweight title, following in the footsteps of his childhood friend Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Khabib retired unbeaten in 2020, vacating the UFC lightweight strap immediately after retaining it in Abu Dhabi. And it was there that Makhachev won the same belt – almost two years later to the day – submitting Khabib’s literal successor Oliveira to become his fellow Russian’s spiritual successor in the Octagon. Last May, Oliveira won the title vacated by Khabib, and the Brazilian went on to retain it in December. One day before his own scheduled defence against Gaethje this May, however, Oliveira was stripped of the belt after missing weight. Oliveira would submit Gaethje anyway to establish himself as No 1 contender and set up a clash with Makhachev.
That highly-anticipated in-ring meeting played out at the Etihad Arena on Saturday, and it was Makhachev, 31, who came out on top, submitting 33-year-old Oliveira with an arm-triangle choke in Round 2 to win the vacant title. In the co-main event, TJ Dillashaw attempted to battle through a dislocated shoulder in his bantamweight title fight with Aljamain Sterling, but the former champion was largely ineffective and ultimately fell to a second-round TKO loss, as Sterling retained the belt. In the evening’s previous fight, rising 135lbs star Sean O’Malley won a controversial decision against former bantamweight champion Petr Yan. Follow live reaction from UFC 280 below.
UFC 280 LIVE
Oezdemir vs Krylov – Round 1
Oezdemir backs up Krylov with punches, but the Ukrainian stuns him with a knee in close!
Oezdemir stumbles back and falls against the fence, and Krylov soon chases the Swiss to the mat...
Krylov takes his back and seeks a rear naked choke, but Oezdemir escapes and stands!
What a chaotic round!
UFC 280 LIVE
Oezdemir vs Krylov – Round 1
Oezdemir comes out swinging straight away, and he’s landing with spiteful punches!
It’s a right hook that’s proving most successful for “No Time”, who’s looking to live up to his nickname!
Krylov wisely chooses to grapple with the Swiss, but Oezdemir’s takedown defence is holding up so far...
Eventually the Ukrainian gets him to the mat, but Oezdemir does well to stand and ultimately get free.
UFC 280 LIVE
This next fight would be on the main card of most events, but its placement on tonight’s prelims is a testament to how deep this evening’s card is...
Volkan Oezdemir vs Nikita Krylov is up next at light heavyweight.
UFC 280 LIVE
Abubakar Nurmagomedov def. Gadzhi Omargadzhiev via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27).
UFC 280 LIVE
Nurmagomedov vs Omargadzhiev – Round 3
Omargadzhiev lands a couple of promising strikes but looks exhausted.
His face is busted up, too, and he eats a hard punch in the final seconds of the fight!
We’ll go to the scorecards!
UFC 280 LIVE
Nurmagomedov vs Omargadzhiev – Round 3
The Russians trade jabs, with both men fighting out of southpaw stances.
Now the welterweights start to look for heavier punches, before Nurmagomedov shoots for another takedown.
Omargadzhiev stuffs it, and the pair stand.
UFC 280 LIVE
Nurmagomedov vs Omargadzhiev – Round 2
Nurmagomedov is quick to secure another takedown once the action resumes, and he soon takes the back.
Omargadzhiev is able to reverse the position and end up on top, before a scramble sees the pair separate!
Before long the welterweights hit the mat, and Nurmagomedov is now in Omargadzhiev’s full guard.
Omargadzhiev wriggles some way out of his compatriot’s grasp and attempts a kneebar, but he’s unable to secure the submission.
UFC 280 LIVE
Nurmagomedov vs Omargadzhiev – Round 2
Nurmagomedov throws a body kick with Omargadzhievbacked up against the fence.
Nurmagomedov then swiftly secures a takedown of his fellow Russian.
Omargadzhiev stands partially but isn’t all the way up as he eats a knee to the face – therefore, it is an illegal strike, and the round is paused.
This is the same referee as in the first fight of the night, in which a point was deducted for the same kind of strike, but there’s no point deduction this time! The shot wasn’t as egregious, admittedly.
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