Charles Oliveira has arrived in Abu Dhabi ahead of next week’s highly anticipated title clash with Islam Makhachev at UFC 280.
The Brazilian, who rides an 11-fight win streak, touched down in the UAE on Sunday as he puts together his final preparations for the headline bout for the vacant lightweight crown at Etihad Arena on October 22.
Oliveira, 32, represents the division’s most recent champion having been stripped of the belt in May for missing weight in the build-up to his defence against Justin Gaethje.
Before leaving for the Emirates, Oliveira had what appeared a playful jab on social media at his upcoming opponent.
On Saturday, Makhachev had captioned a recent post suggesting Oliveira would be arriving 20 days prior to UFC 280 with “2 weeks before the fight, Charles and his team not in Abu Dhabi yet… should I start worry?”
However, Oliveira responded with a picture of him holding a promotional sign for the event, together with the caption: “Calm down, dad is coming. Hello Abu Dhabi.”
Oliveira is 33-8 in professional MMA, while Makhachev’s pro MMA record reads 22-1. The Dagestani, 31, has won his past 10 UFC bouts, including two in Abu Dhabi.
UFC 280 represents the promotion’s return to the capital for the first time since October last year. It boasts two title fights, with bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling defending against former belt-holder TJ Dillashaw.
