The Lightweight division indeed has a champion and it is Charles Oliveira. This is something Charles Oliveira has been saying repeatedly after losing his lightweight title following the official weigh-in.
Technically Do Bronx is not the lightweight champion after UFC 274. However, for the fight fans he is still the best lightweight on the planet. Now even though he has called out Conor McGregor for a fight it’s likely that he will end up fighting Islam Makhahcve or Beneil Dariush next.
But, let’s shift our focus to the legacy of Oliveira after the dominant win over Justin Gaethje. Has he done enough to surpass the legacy of Khabib Nurmagomedov?
Khabib or Oliveira, Who is the best lightweight of all time?
Khabib Nurmagomedov was indeed something special and he dominated lightweight elites such as Dustin Poirier, Justin Gaethje and Conor McGregor.
Now the question is can Charles Oliveira beat Khabib Nurmgomedov at his prime. Well, the answer has to be yes. If we compare Oliveira’s last two performances to Khabib’s last two performances then it’s easy to determine that Oliveira is a more well rounded fighter than Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Khabib lost the first round against Justin Gaethje. He even struggled to take down Gaethje in the first round. However, Oliveira showed no respect to Gaethje’s power or wrestling pedigree.
The relentless pressure Oliveira puts while still being offensive with his striking is a thing of beauty. Do Bronx managed to survive the early knock downs and finished Gaethje on the ground with ease.
If Oliveira fights Khabib Nurmagomedov then he will not be afraid to get taken down by The Eagle like his previous opponents. Oliveira is a much better striker with legit KO power. And if the fight goes ground it’s won’t be fair to assume that Khabib will win the grappling exchange.
Now Khabib Nurmagomedov is retired and the fans will never find out whether he could have beaten Do Bronx. However, time and time again Oliveira has proven that he is one of the best ever to do it in the UFC lightweight division if not the best ever.
Can Charles Oliveira beat Islam Makhachev?
Now many claim that islam Makhachev is better than Khabib Nurmagomedov. However, if we compare his skillsets to Charles Oliveira, Do Bronx should win the fight.
It can’t be disputed that Oliveira is a better striker than Makhachev. Now, it would be interesting to see Makhachev’s wrestling against Oliveira’s grappling. And it can also be said that Oliveira needs the win over Makhachev to change the fans’ perspective on who the real lightweight GOAT is.
However, it won’t be crazy to predict Oliveira to beat Makhahcev if they fight in the near future.