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‘Keep That Belt For Me. See You Soon’- Islam Makhachev on Charles Oliveira’s Big Win

Published 05/17/2021, 2:48 PM EDT

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UFC 262 witnessed a new lightweight champion as Charles Oliveira got the better of Michael Chandler via TKO inside two rounds. Many fighters and fans alike showered congratulatory messages for him. A certain Islam Makhachev too had a message for the Brazilian champion.

Oliveira and Chandler fought for the coveted title after previous holder Khabib Nurmagomedov retired from the octagon after winning his last match against Justin Gaethje at UFC 254.

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Khabib‘s training partner, Makhachev, is one of the title aspirants who has climbed up the division rapidly. After Oliveira’s win over Chandler, he took to Twitter and shared a message for the champion. Makhachev wrote, Congrats @CharlesDoBronxs, keep that belt for me. See you soon.”

Oliveira entered the octagon with an impressive 8-match unbeaten streak. The streak included a monumental win against UFC legend and former interim lightweight champion Tony Ferguson at UFC 256.

Despite this record, he entered the fight against Chandler as the underdog of the two. He showed some excellent groundwork with a guillotine choke that almost made Chandler tap. But the former Bellator champion took control from there onwards and almost ended the match with a quick jab followed by punch combos.

After surviving the first round, Oliveira took control of the second round, and in a matter of 19 seconds, finished Chandler via TKO to claim the coveted crown.

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Makhachev blasted top fighters for turning him down

Makhachev had recently taken to Twitter to blast several top fighters for overlooking him despite his recent dominance in the roster.

“TOP 10 of LW division is a bunch of old ass slick fighters. Not a single one accepted the fight they were offered. NO MATTER WHAT, I’M GONNA KEEP MOVING AND GET THAT BELT SOON, with or without these clowns. See you July 17,” read his tweet.

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Clearly, he isn’t happy as he is about to face Brazilian fighter Thiago Moises at UPC Apex on July 17, 2021 event. The fight won’t fetch him much leap in the rankings. But his opponent Moises is a tough player who has 3 wins on the trot.

Recent exploits of Islam Makhachev

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Since his debut in 2015, Makhachev has racked up 8 victories out of 9 matches, including 7 on the trot since his only loss in 2016. He started with a win against Leo Kuntz at UFC 187  via rear-naked choke submission in round 2.

His most recent victories have come against Drew Dober at UFC 259 via arm-triangle choke and prior to that, he won against Davi Ramos via unanimous decision at UFC 242. His last loss came way back in 2016 when he lost Adriano Martins via TKO in round 1.

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After having a careful look at his profile, anyone would say that he is a grappling expert, just like the champion Oliveira. However, his road to the title fight seems a bit more elaborate considering many title contenders have already lined up.

Can Makhachev push for the title fight soon?

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Written by:

Akshyay Srichandan Mahapatra

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Akshyay Mahapatra is a UFC author for EssentiallySports. He wished to combine his passion for the UFC (that he has been following since 2008) as well as his love for writing. This motivated him to enter the world of combat sports journalism.
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