Lightweight champion Makhachev (24-1 MMA, 13-1 UFC) is scheduled to run things back with Oliveira (34-9 MMA, 22-9 UFC) in the UFC 294 headliner on Oct. 21 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.
In their first fight at UFC 280, Makhachev dominated Oliveira en route to a second-round submission. Dawson, who faces Bobby Green in Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 229 headliner at the UFC Apex, can’t imagine Oliveira doing worse in his second opportunity.
“Short answer: Islam wins again,” Dawson told MMA Junkie and other reporters at Wednesday’s UFC Fight Night 229 media day. “Long answer, it’s a much more competitive fight this time. 99 percent of the nerves going into a fight is the unknown.
“I don’t know how strong this guy is, I don’t know how fast this guy is. Charles knows all of that. Also, Charles has nothing to lose. He’s going to go in against a guy that’s already beaten him. He can do nothing but look better against Islam in this next fight.”
Dawson also points to Makhachev’s past fight as a big factor. Makhachev edged out featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski in a decision win at UFC 284 in February in a fight which ended with him in bottom position taking a barrage of punches.
“Islam has looked mortal,” Dawson continued. “Islam has looked like a real person against a 45’er. So, it kind of shows the division that yes, he’s really good. Yes, he’s the best in the world, but he is beatable, and there are guys out there that can beat him.
“And somebody like Charles Oliveira could get it done. Would you be shocked if you read that he got a guillotine win? He’s got one of the best guillotines in the game. So, I think Islam still wins, but it’s a much more competitive fight.”
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