Khabib Nurmagomedov doesn’t think Charles Oliveira will show up for UFC 280 title fight with Islam Makhachev: “The UFC will replace Charles with Beneil Dariush”

Khabib Nurmagomedov has predicted that Charles Oliveira will not end up fighting Islam Makhachev at UFC 280.

Next month at UFC 280, Islam Makhachev will attempt to finally follow in the footsteps of the great Khabib Nurmagomedov by capturing the UFC lightweight championship. It’s an opportunity he’s been desperately waiting for and now, we’re just a matter of weeks away from seeing whether or not he can climb that last mountain.

Standing in the way of him, though, is Charles Oliveira, the de-facto champion of the division and the current best 155-pounder on the planet.

The pair both seem incredibly prepared for what could well be the fight of their lives but according to Khabib, ‘Do Bronx’ may not make it to fight night.

I just think Charles Oliveira will not show up in Abu Dhabi and the UFC will replace Charles with Beneil Dariush.

Regardless of who the opponent will be, @MAKHACHEVMMA is on his way to becoming the best in the world #ufc280

— khabib nurmagomedov (@TeamKhabib) September 16, 2022

“I just think Charles Oliveira will not show up in Abu Dhabi and the UFC will replace Charles with Beneil Dariush. Regardless of who the opponent will be, @MAKHACHEVMMA is on his way to becoming the best in the world #ufc280”

Beneil Dariush was originally scheduled to take on Islam Makhachev earlier this year before an injury ruled him out, and he’ll actually be competing on the same card as these men at UFC 270 when he meets Mateusz Gamrot.

However, it’s also been heavily reported that Dariush is being lined up to become the back-up fighter for the main event, too, adding an extra layer of intrigue to the idea that he could step in on short notice.

What this mainly highlights, though, is the fact that Khabib hasn’t been afraid to take shots at Oliveira in the last couple of months – and we expect that to continue right up until they arrive in Abu Dhabi.

Do you think there’s a chance we could see Khabib Nurmagomedov return to take on Charles Oliveira in the future? Let us know down in the comments, BJPENN Nation!