Charles Oliveira weighs in on Islam Makhachev’s division change, blames the scale, not the competition!
The UFC lightweight division just got turned upside down. Islam Makhachev shocked everyone by vacating his 155-pound title and moving up to welterweight. Everyone started asking questions. Was he running from tough competition (especially Ilia Topuria)? Did he see an easier path at 170 pounds? Charles Oliveira thinks he knows the real answer, and it’s simpler than most people realize.
Makhachev had to climb through a brutal division filled with killers. The Dagestani fighter finally got his shot against Oliveira at UFC 280 in October 2022. That night in Abu Dhabi, Makhachev submitted ‘Do Bronx’ in the second round to claim the belt. It was a masterful performance that showcased his elite grappling skills. But according to Oliveira, what happened behind the scenes tells a different story about why Makhachev eventually left the division.
Weight cutting has been the silent enemy of many fighters throughout UFC history. The process of draining your body to make weight can be absolutely brutal. Some fighters handle it better than others, but everyone feels the pain. Oliveira has seen it firsthand, and he believes this is exactly what drove Makhachev’s decision to move up.
“Look, I don’t see it that way, I see the weight cut as the reason. I saw this a couple of times already. I’ve been at the same event as him and seen his weight cut. It’s brutal, you know? At weigh-ins on Friday, I saw how drained he was. Many people said he was struggling to make weight…I think it’s because he wants to be in better fight shape, you know? And to cut weight better, he decided to move up. He will be much stronger. He’s improving a lot on his feet, and his ground game is incredibly strong, so that will be a great fight,” said Oliveira via MMAToday.
Now Makhachev faces a completely different challenge at welterweight. Jack Della Maddalena currently holds the 170-pound title after his impressive rise through the division. The Australian fighter has looked unstoppable, finishing opponents left and right. But Oliveira thinks Makhachev will be a serious problem at this new weight class.
Meanwhile, the lightweight division moves forward without its former king. Oliveira gets another shot at UFC gold when he faces the undefeated Ilia Topuria at UFC 317 next month. Topuria made his name by knocking out featherweight legends, but now he’s testing the waters at 155 pounds. It’s a classic clash of styles, Oliveira’s submission wizardry against Topuria’s knockout power. The winner becomes the new lightweight champion and inherits one of the sport’s most competitive divisions!
(Image Credit: Craig Kidwell – Imagn Images)
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