Here’s how you know this weekend’s UFC 280 fight card from Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi is loaded:
The UFC could take the final four non-title matchups and position them as the main event of the next four non-pay-per-view shows, and no one would bat an eye.
There might be the odd groan from the constant contrarians who have to grouse about everything and the “I don’t like (insert fighter name here)” set that just refuses to support a particular competitor, but on the whole, each of the final four non-title bouts this weekend is a critical matchup at the top of a talent-rich division and will help determine the courses those weight classes take as we head into 2023.
And then there are still two outstanding, utterly fascinating championship contests to enjoy on top of that as well.
This weekend is a big one, so buckle up and enjoy this preview of what’s on tap for UFC 280.
FIGHTER TO WATCH: MUHAMMAD MOKAEV
Mokaev is one of the best prospects in the UFC, maybe the best, period.
The 22-year-old flyweight sports a perfect 7-0 record as a professional after amassing a 23-0 mark as an amateur, and from a skills perspective, Mokaev is the total package. He was pursuing an Olympic wrestling path before being derailed by citizenship battles, and has added clean, sharp boxing to his grappling talents, making him a dangerous threat wherever the fight takes place.
What’s wild to think about is how much additional room Mokaev has to grow as he continues to mature physically, as well as in terms of his experience in the sport. He’s won each of his first two UFC assignments, shows nothing but promise, and could continue making a push towards the Top 15 in the 125-pound weight class with a victory over Canadian veteran Malcolm Gordon on Saturday.
FIGHT TO WATCH: BELAL MUHAMMAD VS. SEAN BRADY
This is a fascinating fight for a number of different reasons.
First, Muhammad gets huge props for agreeing to fight backwards in the rankings despite entering on a three-fight winning streak and having gone unbeaten in his last eight appearances. He’s done everything you could ask a fighter to do in order to merit a date with an opponent positioned ahead of him in the rankings, but with those few names occupied or uninterested, the 34-year-old agreed to take on the surging, undefeated Brady.
That’s the second piece of this: Brady is 5-0 in the UFC, 15-0 in his career, and enters as the betting favorite, despite everything I just said about Muhammad. He’s coming off a good win over Michael Chiesa last November, is a compact, powerful tank of a man, and could vault himself into the title conversation with a victory on Saturday.
Stylistically, this one is interesting because Muhammad is known for pushing a relentless pace and having a bottomless gas tank, while Brady is at his best when he’s dictating the terms of engagement and forcing his opponents to move backwards. The unbeaten Philadelphia native did fade in the third round of his last fight, so that’s something to keep an eye on as he steps in with the indefatigable Muhammad this weekend in Abu Dhabi.
FIGHT TO WATCH: KATLYN CHOOKAGIAN VS. MANON FIOROT
Last weekend, Alexa Grasso established herself as the clubhouse leader in the race to become the next title challenger in the flyweight division. Saturday, Chookagianand Fiorot will try to make their respective cases.
Chookagian is to the flyweight division what Glenn Close is to the Academy Awards — you know she’s terrific, you respect the talent, but she’s never won the big one. The 33-year-old “Blonde Fighter” has only lost to champion Valentina Shevchenko and former strawweight queen Jessica Andrade over the last four years, and has spent her last four outings turning back former title challenger Jennifer Maia and hopefuls Cynthia Calvillo, Viviane Araujo, and Amanda Ribas.
Entering on a nine-fight winning streak, which that includes four straight victories inside the Octagon, Fiorotis a rising star in the division and the next ascending talent to cross paths with Chookagian with designs on garnering a championship opportunity to handing her a rare loss.
Each of these women operate from a kick-heavy, rangy base, so it could come down to which one is able to get inside and win the physical battles in close. A dominant effort on either side could vault the winner ahead of Grasso in the title chase, or land them opposite the talented Mexican in a No. 1 contenders bout next time out.
FIGHT TO WATCH: BENEIL DARIUSH VS. MATEUSZ GAMROT
With all due respect to reigning featherweight champ Alexander Volkanovski, the winner of this one should get the first crack at whomever emerges from the lightweight championship main event with the belt wrapped around their waist.
Dariush was scheduled to face Islam Makhachev in February, but was forced out after suffering a leg injury, scuttling his chances of toppling the streaking Russian and replacing him in the championship chase. Healthy and ready to return, the 33-year-old arrives in Abu Dhabi on a seven-fight winning streak, the third-longest active streak in the division behind the main event participants.
Considered one of the best fighters competing outside the UFC during his days as a two-division champion under the KSW banner in his native Poland, Gamrot has continued to excel since arriving in the UFC. He enters Saturday’s clash with Dariush on a four-fight winning streak, coming off a unanimous decision win over Arman Tsarukyan in what many consider to be the best fight of the year thus far.
This should be an electric engagement for as long as it lasts, as both Dariush and Gamrot are excellent grapplers with powerful striking and a habit of getting into entertaining scraps. Whether on the feet or on the ground, this should be a competitive battle with the winner moving to the top of the list of contenders within the 155-pound weight class.
FIGHT TO WATCH: PETR YAN VS. SEAN O’MALLEY
This might be the most talked about fight on this card, which is saying something given that there are two ultra-competitive championship fights set to follow it into the Octagon on Saturday.
A little more than four years into his UFC tenure, Yan has already been the undisputed and interim bantamweight champion, and remains the top-ranked contender in the 135-pound weight class heading into this one. His only two losses inside the Octagon have come against Aljamain Sterling — one by disqualification, and the other, in April, by split decision — and a dominant showing over O’Malley would keep him near the top of the list of potential title challengers going forward, depending on how things play out in the co-main event.
O’Malley has been the breakout star from Dana White’s Contender Series and a social media (and media) darling since touching down in the UFC. He’s put together a 7-1 record with one No Contest, including five stoppage victories, to establish himself as one of the top young talents in the loaded bantamweight class.
What makes this fight so magnetic is that O’Malley is taking a considerable step up in competition, jumping in with a former champion before even registering his first victory over a Top 10 opponent. If he beats Yan, he’ll earn a title shot, especially if he’s able to finish him, but it could also go sideways for “Suga” as well, which is why so many people are so eager to see how this one plays out.
BANTAMWEIGHT TITLE FIGHT: ALJAMAIN STERLING VS. TJ DILLASHAW
After winning the title by disqualification in his first bout with Yan, Sterling secured his place atop the division in April, salting away the first three rounds to land on the favorable side of a split division verdict in their rematch. An outstanding grappler with tremendous strength for the division, Sterling is most dangerous early and a nightmare to deal with if he gets on your back or drags you to the canvas.
Dillashaw is a two-time bantamweight champion looking to join Randy Couture as only the second person to hold the same UFC title three times. He earned a debated victory over Cory Sandhagen in a competitive, entertaining, back-and-forth battle last summer in his first fight since serving a two-year suspension for testing positive for EPO, and then was forced to undergo knee surgery following the contest, resulting in his being on the sidelines for another year plus heading into this one.
This is a classic clash of styles, with Sterling expected to be hellbent on getting this fight to the canvas and Dillashaw doing his level-best to keep things standing and make the champion exchange with him on the feet. The real interesting wrinkle to watch in this one is the conditioning of each man, as Sterling has been known to fade late in fights, while Dillashaw has routinely proven himself capable of going five hard rounds.
LIGHTWEIGHT TITLE FIGHT: CHARLES OLIVEIRA VS. ISLAM MAKHACHEV
The two best lightweights in the UFC clash in the main event, with the vacant title hanging in the balance.
Oliveira is the uncrowned champion after being stripped of his title for missing weight ahead of his scheduled defense against Justin Gaethje in May. Belt or not, the Brazilian has been lights out over the last five years, piling up 11 victories, 10 finishes, and consecutive wins over Gaethje, Dustin Poirier, and Michael Chandler to cement his standing as the top lightweight in the UFC.
Makhachev has been on a tear of his own since suffering the one and only loss of his career seven years ago in Houston, Texas.
The surging Russian contender has won 10 straight, the say four by stoppage, and while some will forward that he’s yet to face a Top 10 opponent on a full camp, it hasn’t been for a lack of trying. Not only was Makhachevscheduled to face Dariush in February and former lightweight champ Rafael Dos Anjos last October when the UFC ventured to Abu Dhabi, but he’s frequently called out the top names in the division, with those calls to compete seemingly falling on deaf ears.
This is an incredible fight between two tremendous talents, and it will be edge-of-our-seat exciting to see how things play out on Saturday.
Oliveira has taken damage in the early stages of each of his last three fights, only to quickly rally and finish, but he won’t have the considerable grappling edge he had in those contests this weekend. Conversely, Makhachevcould have a hard time wading through the rangy strikes of “Do Bronx” as he looks to get inside, and will be tested by his active guard, excellent scrambling ability, and opportunistic submission skills if he does manage to get Oliveira to the canvas.
This is without question the best fight the UFC could make at the moment and an incredible way to close out this weekend’s action-packed UFC 280 pay-per-view.
