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#2. It'll be a glimpse at how well Charles Oliveira would do against Khabib Nurmagomedov
Khabib Nurmagomedov is unlikely to ever return to the cage. Despite countless attempts by UFC President Dana White, 'The Eagle' has stood firm on his decision to remain retired.
According to Nurmagomedov himself, he has ballooned since abandoning his pursuits as a fighter and now weighs over 200 lbs. This renders a cut to 155 lbs as extreme a challenge as any. Thus, fans will likely never see Charles Oliveira test himself against 'The Eagle'.
The upcoming matchup with Islam Makhachev is the closest glimpse at how successful Oliveira will be against a grappling style that's somewhat similar to Nurmagomedov's. If 'do Bronx' successfully defeats Makhachev, it will strengthen the comparisons to Nurmagomedov. Makhachev is often regarded as a more technical version of his Dagestani compatriot.
Specifically, Makhachev is more defensively responsible despite ironically being the only one between the two to have ever been knocked out. On average, Makhachev absorbs fewer strikes than 'The Eagle' per fight and is less reckless with his takedown entries. Furthermore, he favors positional grappling on the mat to give his opponents less chances to submit him.
If Oliveira emerges victorious at the upcoming pay-per-view, he will be the only lightweight GOAT candidate to have faced an opponent who closely emulates the style of another GOAT candidate with fewer defensive mistakes.
#1. Charles Oliveira will have come closer to cleaning out the division
Neither Khabib Nurmagomedov nor B.J. Penn can claim that they cleared out the division. Charles Oliveira is a different case in this regard. Oliveira's victories over Tony Ferguson, Dustin Poirier, Justin Gaethje, Michael Chandler and Kevin Lee have brought him closer to cleaning out the lightweight division than any other 155 lbs GOAT candidate before him.
By defeating Islam Makhachev at UFC 280, he will have completely cleared out the top five in his division, which neither Penn nor Nurmagomedov have ever managed to do. It will reflect a level of dominance that has not yet been seen in the lightweight division.
Furthermore, it will bring 'do Bronx' level with both Penn and Nurmagomedov in terms of UFC lightweight championship bout wins.
