Charles Oliveira vs. Islam Makhachev Booked for Vacant 155-Pound Title Shot at UFC 280

The fight you’ve all been asking for 👀@CharlesDoBronxs vs @MakhachevMMA is set for the LW title 👑

[ #UFC280 | @VisitAbuDhabi | @InAbuDhabi | #InAbuDhabi ] pic.twitter.com/GhqjbwZ0LM

— UFC (@ufc) July 16, 2022

It appears that the Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight title will soon have a new owner. On Saturday, the UFC announced that former 155-pound titleholder Charles Oliveira will take on Islam Makhachev at UFC 280, which will go down in Abu Dhabi on Oct. 22.

Oliveira (33-8, 1NC; 21-8 1NC UFC) was forced to vacate his championship after missing weight by .5 pounds ahead of UFC 274, setting a precedent as the first UFC champion who failed to make weight ahead of a title match. Even though "Do Bronx” went on to submit Justin Gaethje via rear-naked choke in the first round on that occasion, he was not eligible to win the championship that the UFC declared vacant. Oliveira captured the lightweight title after stopping Michael Chandler with punches at UFC 262. The Brazilian scored his first title defense after forcing Dustin Poirier to tap due to a rear-naked choke at UFC 269. Oliveira is riding an impressive 11-bout win streak and has not been stopped since suffering a defeat at the hands of Paul Felder in December 2017.

Makhachev (22-1, 11-1 UFC) is getting his first title shot after scoring 10 consecutive triumphs. The Eagles MMA and American Kickboxing Academy representative has already cleaned out much of the 155-pound division, including victories over Dan Hooker, Thiago Moises and Drew Dober. In his latest Octagon appearance, Makhachev smashed Bobby Green with punches at the 3:23 mark of Round 1 in the UFC Fight Night 202 headliner.