We are just days away from witnessing the highly anticipated clash between Islam Makhachev and Arman Tsarukyan at UFC 311. The lightweight champion will defend his belt for the fourth time against his former opponent, Tsarukyan, in what promises to be a blockbuster showdown. If Makhachev secures the victory, he would be considered the greatest lightweight of all time, as he would break multiple records. Interestingly, his former opponent believes that Makhachev has only a slight chance of clinching victory over Tsarukyan.

While speaking with Shak MMA, the host asked Charles Oliveiras’s prediction on the upcoming lightweight title clash. The former UFC champion responded thoughtfully, stating that he doesn’t have any predictions at the moment. According to the former lightweight champ, both Islam Makhachev and Arman Tsarukyan are equally gifted individuals with tons of weapons to throw at each other. However, the champion has a slight upper hand to defeat the Armenian at the moment.

“It’s exactly what you said. They are both great fighters; they both have similar games. I think Islam has a little bit more of an advantage because he has improved his stand-up a lot, but it all boils down to who wants it more and who is well-prepared. So, it’s a 50-50,” said Oliveira in Portuguese.

“I hope they have a good fight. I hope they’re well-prepared. I’ll be in the front row watching. So, don’t forget I’m next,” Oliveira added as a warning. In the typical friendly ‘Do Bronxs’ fashion, he added he would like to face-off with the winner in the cage, although he does not want to steal their spotlight. But if that’s what it takes to cement his position as the next in line for the belt, then Oliveira is prepared to add a tail end to the PPV.

Charles Oliveira has fought both Makhachev and Tsarukyan, and his assessment should not be taken lightly. Makhachev submitted Oliveira, while Tsarukyan secured a split decision win. This is why Oliveira believes the Dagestani has a better chance of winning the bout. Tsarukyan struggled against ‘Do Bronx’ while on the other hand, Makhachev outwrestled Oliveira to clinch the lightweight belt.

In addition to that Makhachev did defeat Tsarukyan in their first encounter, which gives him a psychological advantage. So, what are the oddsmakers predicting? Well, Makhachev is a -360 favorite over his opponent (+285 underdog). Their match will decide the fate of the lightweight division but will we even witness a rematch between the Brazilian and the Makahchev? Let’s have a look at what the champion is thinking.

Islam Makhachev is a bit confused about his rematch against Charles Oliveira

UFC 280 witnessed the clash between Islam Makhachev and Charles Oliveira. The Dagestani outmatched Oliveira by a mile and clinched the lightweight title. Since then, Makhachev has defended his title three times and is about to defend it again at UFC 311. Their initial clash witnessed a rather lackluster pale Brazilian, which made the rematch even more interesting but it never materialized, and as we are en route to a different era of lightweights, the MMA community wishes to witness their clash once again.

However, the champion is in no mood to clash against Oliveira, “If like people want it [a rematch with Oliveira], if fan wants, why not? But I don’t see he changed something from the first fight. The second fight is going to be the same, you know. But if the fans want, I know he have big fans in Brazil and US, he’s like a big star in our sport. If they want, let’s go, let’s do it again,” the lightweight champ told ‘Shak MMA’ in a recent interview.

If Islam Makhachev defeats Arman Tsrukyan then it’s kind of certain that he would have to defend his title against Charles Oliveira again if he doesn’t change his division. Interestingly, the Brazilian is also looking to go for the gold once again before concluding his career. Regardless, do you believe that their clash will materialize in the future? State your thoughts in the comments below.