UFC superstar Charles Oliveira made headlines for taking a stroll with an actual lion just ten days out from his title fight with Islam Makhachev at UFC 280.
The uncrowned champion is set to take on Makhachev in the headlining bout of UFC 280 on Oct. 22 at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Oliveira goes into the bout looking to reclaim the lightweight gold he lost in his last outing against Justin Gaethje in May at UFC 274. He became the first champion to be stripped of his belt after coming in half a pound over the championship weight limit of 155 pounds. Although he beat Gaethje in the first round, Oliveira remained the top contender with the division title being vacant.
Ahead of his nearing clash, Oliveira took to his Instagram to share his trip with a white lion. ‘Do Bronx’ can be seen walking with the wild cat and even seemed to get its back in one of the photos.
“Lion walks with lion who doesn’t like it respect my story,” Oliveira captioned the post.
Do Bronx seen walking a lion before #UFC280 👀
(via @CharlesDoBronxs)
Oliveira Is Ready To ‘Shock the World’ at UFC 280
The 32-year-old Brazilian is currently on an impressive 11-fight win streak, including notable finishes over Michael Chandler and former interim champions Dustin Poirier and Gaethje. On the other hand, Makhachev will put his 10-fight winning run on the line for the gold. However, Makhachev has not yet faced a top-five-ranked opponent.
Despite the disparity in their records, Oliveira opened as the betting underdog for his main event. In an interview with Brett Okamoto of ESPN, Oliveira declared that he would ‘shock the world’ with a dominant win over Makhachev.
“No, I don’t think it’s my toughest fight,” Oliveira added. “I’m going to shock the world yet again. I’m going to do that in the first round. Opinions are subjective and some people believe that I would be a potential winner, he would be a potential winner. But I’m gonna show that my history, my background, and the number of fights I’ve had, my contenders, these will come to show on that very night.
“In this sense, I’ll shock the world because people will change their opinion about this.”
Oliveira Does Not Believe a Win Would Lead to a Megafight With Khabib Nurmagomedov
Former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov had been rallying for his training partner and friend, Makhachev, to get a title fight. Having retired undefeated in Oct. 2020, ‘The Eagle’ backed the fellow Dagestani native to be the heir to his throne. Khabib also fired shots at Oliveira before the showdown to show his support for Makhachev.
Oliveira believes a potential matchup with Khabib would not be a likely scenario, regardless of the outcome.
“Well, he’s a protege of Khabib and he bears that weight on his shoulders. I didn’t choose fights, I just got on with it. This is what we are going to do. It’s a different story, it’s a different card. The fight is against Islam. Whenever (Khabib) he’s willing to get back and get on with it.
“I’ll always be ready. Honestly, I don’t think he’s going to be fighting again. Khabib has said he’s retired, and it’s done. I fully respect that decision.”
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UFC 280 Headliner Makes Unexpected Headlines 10 Days From Title Fight