Only winner against Islam Makhachev, Adriano Martins, talks about his pick between him and Charles Oliveira UFC 280.
Islam Makhachev has a near-unblemished record in MMA. He has been praised by his long-time friend for his MMA IQ and is set to go up against top lightweight contender Charles Oliveira at UFC 280.
In the lead-up to the fight, the only fighter to beat Makhachev weighed in on the opponents and how he sees their chances. In short order, Martins believes that Oliveira will beat Makhachev soundly.
Martins and Oliveira are both Brazilians so we can expect him to have some bias. However, Martins also knows Oliveira since they were part of the same team at Chute Boxe Diego Lima. Both Oliveira and Makhachev stand at 11 and 10 straight wins respectively.
They are almost equally matched. However, Oliveira has been with the UFC for 11 years. During this time, he has seen far more action and beaten the likes of Dustin Poirier, Justin Gaethje and Michael Chandler. So far, Makhachev’s only notable wins are over the now-retired former UFC fighter Paul Felder and fellow UFC lightweight Dan Hooker.
Adriano Martins Picks Charles Oliveira for UFC 280
During an interview with MMA Fighting, Martins said he does not see a lot of Khabib Nurmagomedov’s brilliance in Makhachev. He believes that Makhachev is a more cautious fighter who is still evolving and has a lot to prove. However, he added that a fight is a fight and the MMA world is full of crazy unpredictable events.
Considering Makhachev is a dangerous fighter and has a solid ground game, he advised Oliveira not to take him lightly. Martins added that Makhachev tends to beat his opponents into gassing out and then finishes them off but Oliveira set the pace for the fight and dominates all throughout.
He also said that comparing Makahchev to his mentor Khabib Nurmagomedov is “an exaggeration.”
He thinks ‘The Eagle’ has a stand-out record and “dominated a lot of good people and was on another level” just like Oliveira is doing now.
Martins further said:
“I see Makhachev evolving as an athlete and a man. I think he’s trouble for a lot of people, but I see Charles as the favorite because he’s on a roll as champion. He fought a lot of tough people recently and completely ran through them.”
What is Adriano Martins Doing Now?
Since his win over Makhachev, Martins has been rather unsuccessful in MMA. From 2016 to now, he has had five losses and one draw. He said “I still have plenty of things to do in fighting” and has stated he may consider returning to MMA but also has an eye on bare-knuckle boxing while picking Mike Perry for an ideal matchup.
Click here for more UFC News
