Former UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira is not afraid of the boogeyman. Islam Makhachev has surged to a title shot, which will take place against Oliveira this October at UFC 280 in Abu Dhabi, but “Do Bronx” is happy to take on this lethal foe in hostile territory. According to a recent interview with Trocacao Franca, he’s even willing to battle the dominant wrestler on the ground.
“I’m going to his home, where they wanted the fight, where they think they will beat me. I know I’m the biggest problem of this division. No one’s dumb, right? Every guy Islam fought was a striker and he took them down, and I went toe to toe with every guy I fought and only took them down to make things happen after I hurt them on the feet. Islam is fighting the worst problem of the division, Charles Oliveira.
Oliveira Offers To Start Makhachev Fight On the Ground
Want to start the fight on the ground? I’ll start playing guard. It won’t make any difference to me. Again, I’m telling everyone this, I’m the division’s biggest problem and you’re not understanding. I don’t care who it is and when it is. If you want to trade on the feet, come for it, I have firepower in my hands. If you want to take me down, do it.”
Oliveira, who boasts the most finishes in the UFC and is one of the finest jiu-jitsu practitioners in the game, is not worried about facing the Dagestani’s wrestling. In fact, he’s baffled as to why Makhachev’s other opponents have fought the way they did. “When you’re fighting someone that will only take you down, you have to train what you do best.
People don’t get it, I don’t know if they’re stupid or dumb. Islam has some striking, but he takes everybody down. Every guy he’s fought are strikers who were afraid of getting taken down. I’m not afraid of getting taken down. Islam has a lot to worry about what he’s going to do. I have no weight over me, nothing. I’m 100 percent at what he does best. I have the record for most submissions in [UFC] history and I have firepower in my hands.
You want peace? We want twice of it. You want war? War is coming, it’s on October 22. I’m ready. I’ll win this guy. Listen to me, I’ll leave a gigantic legacy. I get near the big names of the sport and they feel bothered. Why is that? I haven’t done anything. The reality is they see how much I’m evolving. That’s the reality. The way I talk has changed, the way I get dressed has changed, the way I arrive has changed. Everything has changed.”
Are we going to see an all-grappling title fight at UFC 280? Let us know in the comments.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-iZfhmPEYCs
