UFC 280 LIVE results: Islam Makhachev submits Charles Oliveira to win lightweight title
Follow live reaction as Makhachev claims the vacant lightweight title with a second-round win over former champion Oliveira
Islam Makhachev submitted Charles Oliveira in the UFC 280 main event on Saturday to win the vacant lightweight title, following in the footsteps of his childhood friend Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Khabib retired unbeaten in 2020, vacating the UFC lightweight strap immediately after retaining it in Abu Dhabi. And it was there that Makhachev won the same belt – almost two years later to the day – submitting Khabib’s literal successor Oliveira to become his fellow Russian’s spiritual successor in the Octagon. Last May, Oliveira won the title vacated by Khabib, and the Brazilian went on to retain it in December. One day before his own scheduled defence against Gaethje this May, however, Oliveira was stripped of the belt after missing weight. Oliveira would submit Gaethje anyway to establish himself as No 1 contender and set up a clash with Makhachev.
That highly-anticipated in-ring meeting played out at the Etihad Arena on Saturday, and it was Makhachev, 31, who came out on top, submitting 33-year-old Oliveira with an arm-triangle choke in Round 2 to win the vacant title. In the co-main event, TJ Dillashaw attempted to battle through a dislocated shoulder in his bantamweight title fight with Aljamain Sterling, but the former champion was largely ineffective and ultimately fell to a second-round TKO loss, as Sterling retained the belt. In the evening’s previous fight, rising 135lbs star Sean O’Malley won a controversial decision against former bantamweight champion Petr Yan. Follow live reaction from UFC 280 below.
UFC 280 LIVE
Manon Fiorot def. Katlyn Chookagian via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28).
UFC 280 LIVE
Chookagian vs Fiorot – Round 3
Now it’s Chookagian who lands a counter left hook, before she comes forward with a series of straight punches.
Fiorot tags Chookagian with a straight, southpaw left, then takes down the American with a double-leg!
Chookagian is quick to get back to her feet, however, and she marches down the Frenchwoman.
Unofficially the fight ends with an equal number of significant strikes for both women.
UFC 280 LIVE
Chookagian vs Fiorot – Round 3
Final round! Forward comes Chookagian. Fiorot snaps back the American’s head with counter puunches.
A counter left hook connects for Fiorot as Chookagian presses forward again – and another.
UFC 280 LIVE
Chookagian vs Fiorot – Round 2
More left hands are landing for Fiorot. Chookagian is starting to slip behind in this round, though the striking statistics are almost exactly even through two frames.
UFC 280 LIVE
Chookagian vs Fiorot – Round 2
Fiorot with a straight left hand that lands from southpaw.
The Frenchwoman is starting to catch Chookagian on the end of punches.
UFC 280 LIVE
Chookagian vs Fiorot – Round 1
Chookagian takes the centre of the ring. She flicks out a few kicks. Fiorot responds with a side kick to the body.
Chookagian evades as Fiorot looks to clinch. Both women now try to fight behind their jabs.
It’s Fiorot who is coming forward now as the round enters its final minute.
UFC 280 LIVE
We’re onto the main card!
Things will kick off with Katlyn Chookagian vs Manon Fiorot in a women’s flyweight contest.
Chookagian missed weight this week so is set to forfeit a percentage of her purse.
UFC 280 LIVE
Muhammad: “The only thing I heard from coach Khabib in the corner was: ‘Finish him, finish him!’”
UFC 280 LIVE
Some nice variety from Muhammad there to get the stoppage.
Belal Muhammad def. Sean Brady via second-round TKO (punches, 4:40).
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