Paddy Pimblett can’t believe Charles Oliveira is listed as the betting underdog for his lightweight title fight with Islam Makhachev at UFC 280.
Oliveira (33-8 MMA) will be looking to reclaim the UFC’s lightweight title when he collides with Makhachev (22-1 MMA) on Saturday evening in Abu Dhabi. ‘Do Bronx’ was most recently seen in action at May’s UFC 274 event, where he extended his current win streak to eleven in a row with a first-round submission victory over Justin Gaethje (see that here). However, because he missed weight by half a pound, Oliveira was forced to vacate the title and was ineligible to take it home despite defeating ‘The Highlight’ that evening in Phoenix.
Meanwhile, Islam Makhachev will enter Saturday’s UFC 280 main event sporting a ten-fight winning streak, his latest being a first-round TKO victory over Bobby Green this past February. The Russian’s lone loss came back at UFC 192 in October of 2015, where he was TKO’d by Adriano Martins.
Despite having defeated the likes of Dustin Poirier, Michael Chandler and Justin Gaethje in his most recent efforts, Charles Oliveira is currently listed as a +170 underdog for his title fight with Islam Makhachev -190.
For rising UFC star Paddy Pimblett, those odds don’t make any sense and he expects that ‘Do Bronx’ will prove the oddsmakers wrong on Saturday night.
“I cannot believe he’s the underdog,” Pimblett said on his YouTube channel (h/t MMAJunkie). “I just don’t understand it. The people who he’s finished in a row, what he’s done to Tony (Ferguson), I don’t understand how he’s the underdog. Like I’m trying to be fair, you know what I mean.”
Pimblett continued:
“I like Charles to win. He’s one of my favorite fighters to watch. He’s brilliant. But the only way I see Islam winning is if he sits on top of him for five rounds, and I don’t see anyone doing that to Charles.”
Paddy Pimblett concluded by predicting that Charles Oliveira will earn a finish to reclaim the belt at UFC 280:
“I have picked Charles,” Pimblett said. “So, from my point of view, I think Charles will get the finish in three rounds. But I’ve seen him in an interview saying he’ll knock him out in one. If it goes to decision, it’s Makhachev. And if it’s going to be a finish, it’s going to be Charles. I’m going with Charles personally. I just think he’s fought a higher caliber of opponents. He knows how to get through these hard times.”
Who are you picking to win Saturday’s UFC 280 main event between Charles Oliveira and Islam Makhachev? Share your thoughts in the comment section PENN Nation!