Khabib Nurmagomedov wants Charles Oliveira vs. Islam Makhachev to determine undisputed lightweight champion - "Is there really a more interesting duel?"

Khabib Nurmagomedov wants to see Charles Oliveira vs. Islam Makhachev [Photo credit: @ufc on Instagram]
Khabib Nurmagomedov wants to see Charles Oliveira vs. Islam Makhachev [Photo credit: @ufc on Instagram]

Khabib Nurmagomedov wants to see Charles Oliveira take on his prodigy Islam Makhachev in a title fight.

The former undefeated lightweight kingpin lobbied for a title shot on Makhachev's behalf, moments after Oliveira submitted Gaethje in the main event of UFC 274. Taking to Twitter, the Dagestani wrote:

"Is there really a more interesting duel in the UFC at the moment than Islam vs. Charles. Just bring these fighters to Abu Dhabi on October 22nd. Let the undisputed champion be determined."

Check out the tweet below:

Oliveira, of course, is still the top fighter in the division despite his dicey status. He was recently stripped of the lightweight title after failing to make weight ahead of his supposed title defense against Justin Gaethje. The fight went on as scheduled, but the belt was only on the line for Gaethje.

The main event of UFC 274 was another classic Oliveira comeback. Just like in his previous two title fights, the Brazilian survived a knockdown early in the fight before bouncing back with a submission victory.

'Do Bronx' sent Gaethje crashing to the ground with a big right hand halfway through the round. The former champion wasted no time taking his opponent's back and working his way to a rear-naked choke. Oliveira cranked the challenger's neck, forcing him to tap out at the 3:22 mark of the opening round.

His win secured him the No.1 contender's spot, meaning he will fight for the vacant title in the next championship bout. Islam Makhachev is currently on a 10-fight winning streak and could very well receive the next title shot.


Charles Oliveira gets compared to Khabib Nurmagomedov

Charles Oliveira may have suffered a minor bump in the road after losing his title due to a botched weight cut. However, that hasn't stopped the Brazilian from drawing comparisons to the consensus best lightweight of all time, Khabib Nurmagomedov.

UFC commentator Jon Anik recently invoked 'The Eagle's' name while breaking down Oliveira's legacy. During an interview with MMA Fighting, Anik said:

"Certainly, you can’t take away the 29-0 of Khabib Nurmagomedov, but he didn’t have that longevity in the UFC that Charles Oliveira can lay claim to, and stylistically, he’s never been in a boring fight — even when people have questioned certain versions of Charles Oliveira."

Watch Jon Anik's interview below:

youtube-cover

Quick Links

Edited by Dave