Former UFC Bantamweight Champion Dominic Cruz shared his expectations from the fight for the vacant belt in the lightweight division between Charles Oliveira and Islam Makhachev.
“I think that Oliveira has a better chance of finishing the fight ahead of schedule - he can do it in the first three rounds. But if the fight goes the whole distance, then here, I think, Makhachev has more chances.
Early in his career, Oliveira lost when opponents defended his submissions and kept him on the ground using ground and pound. Or they delivered heavy blows in the standing position, transferred to the stalls and did not fall for the painful one. If you managed to survive his onslaught on the ground, you could defeat him by decision.
So if the fight lasts five rounds, Makhachev's style will allow him to avoid submissions, cover Oliveira and dominate on the ground, ”Cruz said during a live broadcast on Instagram.
The Oliveira-Makhachev fight will headline the UFC 280 tournament, which will take place on October 22 at UFC 280 in Abu Dhabi.
