"Technically he's not the champ" - Charles Oliveira will most certainly receive PPV points from the Islam Makhachev bout at UFC 280, according to Dana White

Charles Oliveira will challenge Islam Makhachev for the vacant lightweight championship at UFC 280 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on October 22, the promotion said during UFC Fight Night: Ortega vs Rodriguez.

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Many people were incensed when “do Bronx” misplaced his belt before his bout with Justin Gaethje at UFC 274. One of the most severe errors the commissions have made in a long time, according to Daniel Cormier, who recently made that statement. The 155-pound UFC title is currently vacant, and Charles Oliveira is the top contender.

When Dana White said that Oliveira would still receive his pay-per-view share from UFC 274 despite losing the title, supporters got won over. Although the division doesn’t officially have a champion, it appears that the Brazilian will profit from his match at UFC 280 through pay-per-view. If “do Bronx” would receive pay-per-view points from the bout versus Makhachev, the promotional president responded as follows during the post-fight news conference at UFC Long Island:

“Yeah, yeah, I think he does. I mean, he’s the champ, but technically he’s not the champ.”

When asked why this bout was scheduled by the UFC, Dana White responded:

“We tried to make that other, the Dariush fight, [he] broke his ankle… that fight [Oliveira vs. Makhachev] makes sense in Abu Dhabi. Everybody wanted to do it, I think everybody wanted to see it, so here we are.”

Watch the following video at 2:00:

Is the fight between Charles Oliveira and Islam Makhachev a rematch of Tony Ferguson vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov?

Ferguson vs Nurmagomedov was a long-awaited grappling chess match frequently touted as the most cursed battle in UFC history. The fight got scheduled, but it was postponed an unbelievable five times. After Numagomedov announced his retirement following his victory over Justin Gaethje at UFC 248, fans had to accept that ‘The Eagle’ vs ‘El Cucuy’ would never occur.

Charles Oliveira vs. Islam Makhachev is official for October 22nd.

This is the new age Tony Ferguson vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov, but we’ll get this one.

— MMA History Today (@MMAHistoryToday) July 16, 2022

Oliveira vs Makhachev may be seen by many, including Khabib Nurmagomedov, as being the closest match to Ferguson vs Nurmagomedov. With somewhat fewer elbows, Charles Oliveira’s forward pressure, grappling skills, Muay Thai, and striking skills are reminiscent of a prime Tony Ferguson.

Under the direction of Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, Islam Makhachev grew up working out with Khabib Nurmagomedov. Like the past champion, the Dagestani uses chain wrestling as the foundation of his style. The main distinction between the two is that Makhachev has only suffered one defeat in his career, having been knocked out.

Although it will be challenging for Charles Oliveira to submit Islam Makhachev or defeat the Dagestani by decision, mixed martial arts is undoubtedly the most unpredictable sport in the world.

Below, see how Khabib Nurmagomedov contrasts the Oliveira vs Makhachev incident with his caution against Tony Ferguson: