Ali Abdelaziz claims Islam Makhachev sold out UFC 280 venue "by himself"

MMA manager Ali Abdelaziz claims that Islam Makhachev, who will feature in the main event of UFC 280, has sold out the entire venue with just his own popularity.

A Twitter user recently uploaded a post where it showed that the entire venue for UFC 280 was sold out. Abdelaziz replied to the comment, saying the Dagestani was the sole reason behind it.

See Ali Abdelaziz's tweet below:

In another tweet, Abdelaziz also fired shots at people who claimed that Dagestani fighters could not be a big draw.

Islam Makhachev is set to headline UFC 280 alongside former champion Charles Oliveira. The two will lock horns for the vacant lightweight title. However, that is not the only exciting fight on the card; UFC 280 is completely stacked from top to bottom and could possibly turn out to be the best UFC event of the year.

In the co-main event, T.J. Dillashaw and bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling will go toe-to-toe to determine the new 135-pound king. Another bantamweight banger in the form of Petr Yan vs. Sean O'Malley will take place on the event's main card.

In a crucial lightweight fight, top contenders Beneil Dariush and Mateusz Gamrot will throw down in a three-round scrap. Two intriguing matchups in the form of Katlyn Chookagian vs. Manon Fiorot and Belal Muhammad vs. Sean Brady will also take place on the UFC 280 card.

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Henry Cejudo believes Islam Makhachev's wrestling will play a crucial role at UFC 280

In a recent Q&A session, Henry Cejudo drew parallels between the upcoming lightweight matchup and his own win over Demetrious Johnson. According to 'The Messenger', Makhachev's wrestling skills could be a deciding factor in that fight:

"If there's anybody that could beat Charles Oliveira, his name is Islam Makhachev... [The] Same reason why I beat Demetrious Johnson, my wrestling overwhelmed whatever it is that he was bringing to the table and wrestling can be your safety net... One solid base like wrestling could probably neutralize anything that any martial arts can bring to the table."

Watch the video below:

The matchup between 'Do Bronx' and Islam Makhachev is compelling for multiple reasons. The two lightweights are on a dominant run in the UFC right now - Oliveira with an 11-fight winning streak and Makhachev with ten wins in a row.

Another reason why this fight is intriguing is because Oliveira is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist, whereas Makhachev is a former combat sambo world champion. It will be interesting to see how this encounter unfolds, especially if and when the fight goes to the ground.