UFC light heavyweight Anthony Smith has long praised Charles Oliviera, but seems to have favored Oliveira’s opponents in his recent fights. On The Fighter vs The Writer, Smith claimed that he’s done being proven wrong about “Do Bronx”, and is backing Oliveira to get the job done against Islam Makhachev at UFC 280.
“I’m not going to do it anymore. I always, always, I don’t want to say discredit, but I always doubt Charles Oliveira. Then afterwards I tell myself why do you do that? Cause I have a lot of respect for that guy but even going into the Poirier fight, well Poirier’s kind of the uncrowned champion here and I believe in Charles Oliveira but I think Poirier gets this done. I did the same thing with Chandler. I’m not doing it anymore.
Anthony Smith “Done Doubting” Charles Oliveira
Even when I start digging into the details and I start watching film and I’m like I don’t know, maybe he just gets controlled — I’m not doing it. I’m sticking to my gut and I think Charles Oliveira beats Islam. I do.” Specifically, Smith cited Oliveira’s lethal jiu-jitsu as a major factor in the fight.
“I think when you’re as dangerous on the ground as Charles Oliveira, when you’re as dangerous as a finisher as he is, when you’re not afraid of something, it takes away all the power from it.
Everyone Islam has fought, for the most part, has been terrified of his wrestling and his top game. It’s the same thing with Khabib [Nurmagomedov]. When you’re not afraid of that and you have no fear of it at all, I think that takes away some of the power from it.
I think Charles attacks so much and creates so many scrambles and can do that over an entire 25-minute fight if he had to, I think that’s going to nullify at the very least, Islam’s top game and his wrestling and I think Charles Oliveira’s a better striker. I think that he’s more powerful on his feet. I think he finds shots better. I think he attacks the body better. I think he can neutralize the wrestling at the very least. I don’t think he’s going to get controlled.”
Charles Oliveira’s relentless offensive pace will be decisive, said Smith. “I think that [Oliveira] attacks submission after submission after submission until eventually Islam’s going to have to retract and pull out of something and I think that he’s going to stand up straight to his feet. That’s the best case for Islam is that he gets back to his feet. Worst case is that you retract or start pulling out of submissions and he goes to your back or he latches onto something else.”
Do you agree with Anthony Smith’s prediction? Let us know in the comments.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8S555tBrXyQ
