Charles Oliveira hopes to dominate Islam Makhachev in the UFC 280 pay-per-view (PPV) main event on Saturday before facing Alex Volkanovski, the current featherweight champion, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for his first defence of the lightweight championship. If "The Great" agrees, "Do Bronx" will repay the favour by challenging Volkanovski for the 145-pound title at UFC 284 a few weeks later. This will need quick turnaround for both parties and require the Brazilian phenom to travel to Perth, Western Australia. “Mate, let’s do it,” Volkanovski told MMA Junkie. “If anyone could do it, it’s me. If he can get that done, let’s do it. Obviously I don’t know if it makes too much sense, but I’m down. I’m down for whatever.” He continued, “I don’t know if that can even happen, but if they’re happy to do it, I’m happy to do it. It’s as simple as that.” Volkanovski will participate as a backup for the title match between Makhachev and Oliveira. He anticipated being the next in line regardless of whether he steps in on Saturday, and has been given additional solace after listening Makhachev declare that he'd be open to fighting no.1 pound for pound in Australia. “Seems like my next fight will definitely be the lightweight title,” Volkanovski said. “So that’s why I put myself in that position so let’s see what happens.” All of this is meaningless until Oliveira defeats Makhachev at UFC 280, which is no easy task. Then, "Do Bronx" will need to be healthy and prepared to contest in time for UFC 283, which also seems doubtful logistically, and somehow persuade the promotion to count on a speedy comeback for both athletes in time for UFC 284.

Beneil Dariush is adamant about letting his struggle speak for itself. Previously he was seen complaining about not being selected as the backup fighter for the UFC 280 headliner occurring in Abu Dhabi this Saturday. But now he looks determined to go with the flow as on Saturday's UFC 280 main card at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, Dariush is scheduled to square off with the Polish Mateusz Gamrot in a 3-round fight. The UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski was selected over Dariush, who had initially been the backup for the lightweight title bout between Charles Oliveira and Islam Makhachev. If Dariush defeats Gamrot, it will be his eighth straight victory, but don't anticipate him to speak out and ask for a title opportunity. “I’m not a beggar,” Dariush told MMA Junkie. “I’ve done everything I needed to do, and if I win this fight – Lord willing, I do – I’ve got nothing left to prove. So if they want to give me the title shot, great. If they don’t want to give it to me, great. I know who I am and I know what I want, and I know what I’m going to do – and that’s fighting. That’s what I want to do. So if it’s not the title, we’ll find somebody else.” In case he is no longer the backup for the title bout, Dariush wasn't sure if it was worthwhile to weigh in at exactly 155 pounds to make championship weight. He believes he should, though, just in case, on second thought. “While I’m cutting, we’ll see,” Dariush said. “If I get to 156 and I’m struggling, I might not. … Yeah, I think I’m going to aim for ’55, but we’ll see. “I should be ready. … I’ll come in at ’55.” Beneil Dariush was initially enraged by the news that Alexander Volkanovski would be the backup fighter for UFC 280, but he has since reconciled himself with it. Dariush believed he would compete in Saturday's main event if Charles Oliveira or Islam Makhachev were unable to do so for most of his training camp. When Volkanovski proclaimed himself as the official backup less than two weeks before the tournament, he was perplexed for this reason. “It took a while. I was pretty annoyed about the whole thing, so I took a step back. I put myself in everybody’s shoes. Calling and yelling at my manager for a while, that didn’t make me feel better. Here’s what I thought about: Volk is pound-for-pound the king right now, right? I’m correct on that, yes? And he offered to be a backup. “If I was in the UFC’s shoes, it’d be a no-brainer for me, as well. It’s not hard to understand why they did what they did. Does it suck for me? For sure it sucks for me, but I understand why everybody did what they did. With that being said, I just take my focus back to doing what I need to do, and that’s Gamrot.” Not to be misunderstood, but Dariush still feels awkward being the outcast. He simply keeps reminding himself that the UFC is putting on the most prominent fights it can while still doing what is best for business. Everybody is pretty much familiar with the UFC business and UFC President is a profit-oriented boss. So the American claimed that he accept the promotion’s decision and doesn’t want to blend his vision with the organization’s vision.

Beneil Dariush can't compete with Mateusz Gamrot according to him on the mat. Gamrot (21-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) and Dariush will square off on Saturday's UFC 280 main card at Etihad Arena in an effort to end Dariush's winning streak. Preliminaries on ESPNews and ESPN+ are followed by the main card airing on pay-per-view. Gamrot likes his chances of obtaining a stoppage victory if the fight ends up on the ground, despite the fact that Dariush (21-4-1 MMA, 15-4-1 UFC) has a variety of finishes via strikes and by submission. “Beneil is good everywhere,” Gamrot told MMA Junkie and other reporters at Wednesday’s UFC 280 media day. “He’s an all-rounder, big, strong, put pressure in striking, heavy kicks, but I’m a wrestler, and jiu-jitsu is my DNA. We meet in the ground, and I am sure that I finish him on the ground.” Gamrot, a former two-division KSW champion, has only fought five times in the UFC, but by defeating Dariush, he hopes to move up to the top of the lightweight class. “I’m super excited that I can fight with Beneil Dariush,” Gamrot said. “He’s one of the best guys in the division. Now he’s No. 6 in the rankings. For sure if I beat him Saturday night, I enter the top five.”

The gloves won't be coming off for Dominick Cruz anytime soon. The former UFC bantamweight champion refuted the notion of retiring during an appearance on Wednesday's episode of The MMA Hour, after suffering a terrible knockout loss to Marlon Vera in the main event of UFC San Diego, which was decided by a nasty kick to the face. “I’m here, yeah — what do you mean?” Cruz said when asked about his future. “Right now, it’s been a month-and-a-half. I’m running again, I’ve been lifting, getting the body strong. I’m still top-10 level. I don’t look at myself after that loss and go, ‘I’m not there any more.’ I do the opposite. I go, alright, speed’s still there, power’s still there, all this stuff’s still there. We’ve just got to tighten up some defense. “You either retire, or you lose, and those are your choices. I think a lot of people who retire, they didn’t lose, because they retired. You can just keep going, but there’s a point where you’re just going to stack up too many losses, because you’re not there any more. I don’t really look at my last fight and go, ‘Ah, you’re not really at the level, these guys are just outclassing you.’ It wasn’t really that. So, just take my team, fix the fundamentals and take it a day at a time. Get my body strong, and just train and love training.” Cruz's defeat ended a two-fight winning streak that had been established following his loss of the bantamweight belt and inability to successfully defend it after an injury-induced hiatus of nearly four years. The 37-year-old San Diego native has competed at the highest level in MMA in a number of promotions and is among the few seasoned fighters who have successfully reclaimed a lost belt. Cruz is amazed by the technical developments in MMA over the years and the dangers that upcoming fighters must contend with, including the ambidextrous striking abilities Vera utilized to catch him from a southpaw posture after stumbling over his typically evasive movement. He nevertheless thinks that his abilities are still useful and that, in order to be competitive, he merely needs to improve his game's basics. Cruz still thinks he is only one victory away from another title shot, despite his defeat. It's because of this that rising talent frequently calls him out, making him an alluring target. Jonathan Martinez defeated veteran Cub Swanson last weekend with a leg kick and then used his post-fight remarks to challenge the former champion. “What a sweetheart of a f****** guy — let’s be honest, the nicest guy on earth, calling me out, and it makes sense,” he said. “Do you want to fight a guy that’s got 300 followers and is lethal, or do you want to fight a guy who’s been doing this for a long time and is also lethal, but either way, you’re facing two dangerous guys — one guy is a former champ, one guy is nasty, not a former champ. Who you going to call out? Cruz is currently most concerned with getting back into condition, taking care not to put too much stress on his body while traveling with the UFC, and restoring the aspects of his game that make him a threat on all fronts. His attitude hasn't altered, regardless of whether he competes once more for another title, challenges a new, hungry talent, or chooses another alternative on his long journey. Inside and out, he participates in the fight game and hasn't let go of it.

Sean Brady expects to outmuscle Belal Muhammad during the grappling matches. When Brady faces Muhammad on Saturday at Etihad Arena, he will try to get into the running for the welterweight title. Brady will be fighting the UAE native on preliminary card of UFC 280 in Abu Dhabi. Muhammad feels that with victories over Demian Maia, Stephen Thompson, and Vicente Luque, he has faced every type of opponent in the division. Brady, though, claimed that Muhammad had never engaged in a grappling match. “It’s a good run, don’t get me wrong,” Brady told at Wednesday’s UFC 280 media day. “But even if you look at the grappler that he fought, Demian Maia, Demian Maia is a jiu-jitsu guy. He’s not a grappler. He’s never been good at takedowns; his takedown accuracy was like 23 percent. The dude was pulling guard and scooting towards people. But Brady is confident about his skillset and claims that he is going to dictate the whole fight. “I’m a different animal of taking people down and controlling them and ground and pound and submissions, and I feel like it’s gonna be a lot different. It’s gonna be something he’s never experienced before. Just like people talk about what Khabib feels like, you don’t know until you feel it. These guys don’t know. Until I grab them, they’re not gonna know what they’re in for.” Muhammad is once again entering the UFC cage as an underdog despite his significant victories in the category. Khabib Nurmagomedov, a former UFC lightweight champion and Hall of Famer, will be in Muhammad's corner, but Brady claims that won't be of any use. “Belal’s good. He’s good at what he does,” Brady said. “But I just think I’m better at what he does, and I think they just made some tactical mistakes that I’m not gonna make.” He continued to add some kind words about glorified career of the Dagestani legend Khabib Nurmagomedov, but he claimed that being trained by the Russian or having him along in the corner isn’t going to break his winning streak. “He’s not Khabib. Islam is not Khabib. Khabib’s Khabib, and Khabib’s lost as a cornerman, and he’s gonna lose again on Saturday night. Guys in Khabib’s camp have lost, so the only one who’s undefeated is Khabib. Belal is not undefeated, and he’s gonna catch another L on Saturday.”

At UFC 280, Charles Oliveira will face Islam Makhachev in the title fight. One of the most highly anticipated fights in lightweight history will take place in Abu Dhabi. As 'do Bronx' has won 11 straight fights and Makhachev has a 10-fight winning streak, both fighters will enter the octagon with plenty of optimism. The 10 fighters Makhachev has faced, in Oliveira's opinion, are insignificant compared to the challenges the former champion has encountered. “I think Islam deserves all the respect in the world,” Oliveira told during UFC 280 media day on Wednesday, “but I think he should’ve fought somebody maybe in the top five like I did, not just surf on someone else’s wave and skip the line like he did.” During the UFC 280 media day, which took place on Wednesday in Abu Dhabi, "Do Bronx" claimed that Makhachev's opportunity to compete for the 155-pound title was made possible and is highly influenced by his longtime friend and AKA teammate Khabib Nurmagomedov, who dominated the weight division before making his undefeated retirement. The former UFC champion will be in Makhachev’s corner Saturday. “It’s for the history and everything he’s done,” Oliveira said of Nurmagomedov’s role in this matchmaking. “If it was any other guy, [Makhachev] would have to walk the walk that I had to walk, knocking on people’s doors, trying to get to a top 5. The reason why this fight is happening is because of him, that’s the real.” Since 2015, Makhachev has won 10 straight fights, with his biggest victories coming over Dan Hooker, Thiago Moises, Gleison Tibau, and Arman Tsarukyan. Makhachev had several fights scheduled against fighters like Rafael dos Anjos and Beneil Dariush, but none of them happened. The 31-year-old Dagestani defeated last-minute replacement Bobby Green in the first round of his fight. Compare that to Oliveira, who was facing Michael Chandler for the vacant title while riding an eight-fight winning streak and had just dominated former interim champion and then-top-five contender Tony Ferguson. To win the 155-pound title, Oliveira managed to TKO Chandler. He then submitted Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje. Oliveira missed weight by half a pound before the Gaethje bout this past May, which forced him to relinquish his title. This is the only reason he isn't a champion right now. At UFC 280, Makhachev claimed he planned to dominate and defeat Oliveira on the ground, and the Brazilian welcomed the challenge. “I’m ready,” he said. “I think anyone needs to believe and want whatever is best for them. If we go down to the ground, he’s facing the biggest finisher in the history of the UFC. If he wants to stand up, we’re gonna stand up. I will shock the world one more time.’’ If Charles Oliveira prevails at UFC 280, he would have defeated the top five UFC lightweights in the world within 18 months. For "do Bronx," it would be a noteworthy accomplishment that would undoubtedly elevate him to the status of "GOAT."

Currently, Islam Makhachev doesn't give the UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski much thought, but that could change very soon. As he gets ready to take on Charles Oliveira in the main event of UFC 280, Makhachev, who is presently riding a 10-fight winning run, is aware that Volkanovski will step in if anything goes wrong in the days leading up to the event. Additionally, UFC President Dana White has stated that Volkanovski would receive the next title opportunity regardless of what transpires at the event on Saturday. Makhachev, who had seen Volkanovski earlier in the week, didn't appear very impressed by his size. But as long as the title is up for grabs, he doesn't seem to mind who is standing across from him. “Honestly, I met Volkanovski downstairs – he’s a short guy,” Makhachev said during UFC 280 media day. “I ask him why you need to cut weight right now? But if I beat Volkanovski people are going to say [I beat a smaller opponent] but people are always going to talk. “[Right now] I want to fight with Charles, and I hope he’s going to make weight. But it doesn’t matter. This camp, I trained so hard, it doesn’t matter who is going to be there. Saturday night, I need someone.” Despite Oliveira's failure to reach the 155-pound limit before his previous match against Justin Gaethje, which cost him the UFC lightweight title, Makhachev didn't seem overly concerned about the matter. Makhachev still sees Oliveira as the divisional champion even though he may not think of him as the greatest in the world, therefore technically there is no championship on the line in the UFC 280 main event. Makhachev will gladly devote all of his attention to Volkanovski if he wins and becomes the UFC lightweight champion if that fight ultimately serves as his first title defense. Makhachev is excited about the opportunity to defeat Volkanovski at home, where the UFC will be returning in February.

UFC 283 will feature a crucial women's flyweight matchup between Jessica Andrade and Lauren Murphy. On January 21, Deiveson Figueiredo and Brandon Moreno will square off for the fourth flyweight championship at UFC 283, which will take place at Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro. Andrade, who has triumphed in the Octagon in three separate weight divisions, recently submitted Amanda Lemos in the first round of a 115-pound contest at UFC Fight Night 205 in April. With three victories in her previous four fights, "Bate Estaca" has only suffered one loss, to Valentina Shevchenko in a flyweight title match at UFC 261. Murphy, meantime, triumphed through unanimous decision at UFC on ABC 3 on July 16 to spoil Miesha Tate's flyweight debut after suffering a title battle loss to Valentina Shevchenko at UFC 266. Known as "Lucky," the 39-year-old has won six of her previous seven advertising contests. Who do you think wins this crunch matchup in the Women’s flyweight division and get in contention for the title once again?

In 2022, will Jon Jones compete? The time is running out. The opponent for Jon Jones' eagerly anticipated return to the Octagon at UFC 282 has not yet been decided, which will take place inside the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Dec. 10. Although he hasn't competed since early 2020, the former UFC light heavyweight champion is still planning to make his heavyweight debut later this year. The UFC is hoping to have "Bones" back for UFC 282 as well because Jones is currently dedicated and preparing tirelessly. Jones has reportedly informed UFC authorities that he is poised to make his heavyweight debut on the early December card, according to a report by MMA journalist Ariel Helwani. Jones' opponent and whether or not they need to transfer him to a different date entirely are still up in the air, according to UFC. The first possibility for UFC 282's main event would be Jones versus Francis Ngannou, the current UFC heavyweight champion. Ngannou's knee injury, which he sustained during his championship defense against Ciryl Gane at UFC 270 earlier this year, is still bothering him. Given the animosity between Jones and Ngannou over the previous few years, the UFC would ideally book this fight, but it is extremely improbable. Ngannou will likely be out until at least the beginning of next year. Matchmakers will be attempting to book "Bones" against former UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic in an interim title fight if Jones vs. Ngannou is ruled out for UFC 282. Some people think Miocic's impressive variety and wrestling skills would cause Jones more issues than Ngannou's punching strength. Although it is still up for question, it isn't too bad if fight fans get Jones vs. Miocic instead of Jones vs. Ngannou. Remember that Miocic has been out since March 2021, when he was knocked out by Ngannou to lose the UFC heavyweight championship. After relinquishing his light heavyweight title in May 2020 as a result of a controversial decision victory against Dominick Reyes, Jones, 35, has spent more than two years bulking up in preparation for a fight in the heavyweight category. Although he is regarded as one of the best fighters of all time, "Bones" has also been involved in several scandals outside the ring, including a domestic battery case that arose in late 2021 from an alleged incident in Las Vegas after his induction into the UFC Hall of Fame for his first fight with Alexander Gustafsson. If everything else fails and Jones is unable to book a spot on the Dec. 10 card, Jiri Prochazka and Glover Teixeira's rematch at light heavyweight will serve as the main event of UFC 282. The two engaged in a Fight of the Year contender back in June at UFC 275, where Prochazka prevailed by last-second submission.

Jiri Prochazka, the UFC light heavyweight champion, is constantly testing his limits to prepare for his fights by, most recently, spending three days in a dark room to sharpen his mind. According to Prochazka, who is a huge supporter of meditation, he pushed things a step further by eliminating sensory stimuli and food from the cramped area. “That’s all in darkness for three days, and there you can work with your demons and train what you want,” said Prochazka, who faces Glover Teixeira in a title rematch at UFC 282. “I don’t want to talk about a lot, because that’s like my personal things.” The usage of sensory deprivation tanks is widespread; longtime UFC commentator Joe Rogan is an outspoken proponent of the technique and owns a chamber. Participants typically spend an hour or so in solitude and total darkness – not days without food and with no sense of time. “That’s the biggest fun, because you have to go to the point where time is ending, and I can’t speak about that, because it’s so, not intense, for me, these things are so personal … and holy,” Prochazka said. Prochazka, a fervent adherent of the Bushido code school of martial arts, has embraced unique methods of MMA training, once stating that he chose to strike a tree as his target. In a sport where superstition and mysticism sometimes combine, sensory deprivation is not the most uncommon tactic. However, Prochazka wears his uniqueness a little bit more overtly. Prochazka claimed he meditates as part of his regular martial arts training to hone his mind and prepare it for combat. Simply put, the dark makes everything more intense. “It’s very helpful,” he said. “There is just you and you. No other people. That was my first time when I did that without food, so just with water. It’s much more strong when you’re without food. All the processes in your body is much stronger. Your mind’s working a lot, and you have to die here first. “And three days, four days, that’s not so much. But I’m using that just to recognize who I am really, and then I can start training and pushing to the next level with truly me, more honestly.” Prochazka recently cut off his famous "samurai" hair, another representation of his martial heritage that many of his admirers admired. With his new position, he claimed, he had to begin a "new episode" of his life. The champion wants to recover at UFC 282 after what he calls a career-worst performance, despite winning the title via decision over Teixeira. His UFC belt, whose gold has "a really lovely vibe," However, the additional steps serve as a compliment to the primary task. Will Jiri Prochzaka be able to defend his belt against Glover Texeira at UFC 282? Let us know in the comments.

This past weekend, Wilder, 36, made a comeback to the ring with the goal of overcoming his first career losing streak in his second and third bouts against Tyson Fury. To say Wilder accomplished that would be an understatement. Robert Helenius was put out of his misery by Wilder, who only only one round to finish the job. This knockout marked Wilder's 42nd triumph in his 43-fight professional boxing career. It was Helenius' first defeat since his defeat against Gerald Washington in July 2019. Joe Rogan, a longtime UFC analyst and boxing fan, has been a persistent supporter of Wilder, but he was nonetheless awestruck by the performance. Mike Tyson is typically one of the first names brought up when people think of heavyweight boxers and the most dangerous of all time, and he is also debatably the best. Rogan thinks Wilder is the only person left atop the mountain right now. “It’s absolutely f****** amazing the power that [Wilder] can generate,” Rogan said on Instagram. “He’s truly unlike anyone I’ve ever seen in the history of the heavyweight division. You can make no mistakes with this man. There have been many incredible KO artists in the history of boxing, but for my money, he’s the most impressive. If you look at this punch it wasn’t even with full leverage and his opponent instantly shuts off. It’s what the great Firas Zahabi calls ‘the touch of death.’” The knockout's immediate aftermath made it especially unpleasant. As soon as the trigger was pulled, Helenius tensed up and collapsed to the ground with wide eyes. Such a spectacle led to Wilder's tearful post-match admission that he had been deeply concerned for his opponent. Helenius shared on social media on Sunday that he didn't have any significant injuries, but Wilder wished him well for the future.

A win at UFC 280 will rank Oliveira ahead of Khabib Nurmagomedov in the lightweight “Greatest Of All Time” conversation according to UFC Hall of Famer Michael Bisping. The vacant championship Oliveira never lost, at least not in the octagon, will be contested by Islam Makhachev at UFC 280. Before his scheduled title defense against Justin Gaethje at UFC 274 this past May, Oliveira was stripped of the title after arriving at the scale at 155.5 pounds amid questions about its veracity. Gaethje was eventually choked out by Oliveira (33-8 MMA, 21-8 UFC), proving beyond a shadow of a doubt that he remains the finest lightweight in the world despite no longer holding the belt. In addition to the lost title, there may be other prizes up for grabs when he faces Makhachev on Saturday. With a victory, Oliveira will overtake Khabib Nurmagomedov. “Greatest lightweight of all time? I think if Charles beats Islam this weekend, I think that belongs to Charles now,” Bisping said on his YouTube channel. “I really do. I think he will have surpassed him, simply because he’s taken out all the top contenders. And it’s not Khabib’s fault, but you cannot deny the numbers, the momentum, the history that Oliveira’s making.” Oliveira is the holder of several UFC records, including victories by finishes, submissions, and bonuses. With 11 straight victories, 10 of which have been by finish including victories over Justin Gaethje, Dustin Poirier, Michael Chandler, Tony Ferguson, and Kevin Lee. "Do Bronx" is currently on an incredible winning streak. Compared to earlier in his career, when he suffered eight losses he has looked like a completely different fighter. Oliveira's one significant flaw is that he has lost eight times, including seven by decision, while Khabib has never lost in his professional career, as acknowledged by Bisping. While a victory over Makhachev will strengthen Oliveira's case as the lightweight GOAT, Nurmagomedov's record is unparalleled as he concluded his career unblemished at 29-0 overall and 13-0 in the UFC before announcing his retirement in 2020. His victories over Gaethje, Poirier, Conor McGregor, Rafael dos Anjos, Al Laquinta, and Edson Barboza stand out among his victories. “Here’s the case for Khabib: his record, 29-0, 13-0 in the UFC, and he was one of the most dominant fighters that the UFC had ever seen,” Bisping said. “In 60 career rounds, this man only lost two rounds. Round one against Justin Gaethje — very, very close — and round three against Conor McGregor — again, very, very close.” Nurmagomedov, like Oliveira, does not, however, have a solid case for being a lightweight GOAT, with the biggest criticism being that he retired too soon. And it appears like Bisping is heavily influenced by this reasoning since he concludes that, despite the honorable nature of Nurmagomedov's motives for retirement, they nevertheless work against him. “All we ever saw was him win and dominate people, but he retired at 32 years old after three title defenses and two-and-a-half-years as champion of the world,” Bisping said. “That’s fantastic, but if he had stuck around longer, would we have seen him lose the belt? Would we have seen him get challenged? We’ll never know, and that is one of the real arguments for Khabib not being the pound-for-pound No. 1. … “The reality is, the reason we ask the question is because he didn’t stick around long enough. And we know why. It was a very honorable reason. He made a promise to his mother, and he stuck to that. Wow, what a guy. I respect that so much. But would he have beaten all these top new contenders? He’d have beaten some of them, but would he have beaten Charles? We don’t know. We can only imagine.”