All eyes on UFC 280’s title fights in Abu Dhabi

ABU DHABI: The UFC is set to bring its world-famous octagon to Abu Dhabi next month with two belts on the line and a stacked card that is now being touted as one of the year’s biggest events.

The UFC 280 headline fight sees Charles Oliveira take on Islam Makhachev for the vacant lightweight title, with the Brazilian looking to reclaim the belt at the Etihad Arena on Oct. 22.

Oliveira (33 wins, 8 losses, and 1 no contest) comes to Abu Dhabi on the back of an 11-fight win streak, and only lost the title when he missed weight ahead of his last fight against Justin Gaethje. A win that night ensured the title would remain vacant, as the Brazilian extended the UFC record for most finishes (19) and submissions (16).

His opponent Makhachev (22-1) will be a huge crowd favorite in Abu Dhabi. The Muslim fighter from Dagestan is part of former champion Khabib Nurmagomedov’s team, and goes into the fight having won his last 10 fights, over more than six years. Touted as the successor to Nurmagomedov, this will be his biggest test to date as he fights for a UFC title for the first time.

The bantamweight division will see its biggest night of the year in Abu Dhabi, with champion Aljamain Sterling putting his title on the line against seasoned veteran T.J. Dillashaw. Sterling (21-3) took the title from Petr Yan last year, and then defended against the Russian in April. A UFC fighter for the past eight years, and professional since 2011, he is unbeaten in his last seven bouts. Dillashaw (17-4) is a former two-time champion in the division and holds the records for most title fight wins, most overall wins, and most wins via knockout and technical knockout.

Staying in the division, another fight with huge repercussions is the