Chael Sonnen surprised by Justin Gaethje being the only lightweight to pick Islam Makhachev over Charles Oliveira

Several UFC lightweight contenders have picked Charles Oliveira to emerge victorious in his upcoming clash against Islam Makhachev at UFC 280. The main event clash to determine the lightweight champion of the UFC has the MMA community racking their brains to predict the outcome of the fight.

Interestingly, Oliveira's former opponent Justin Gaethje has picked Makhachev to defeat the Brazilian in his first shot at lightweight gold.

The former UFC middleweight was surprised by the fact that Gaethje was the only fighter in the lightweight ranks to pick Makhachev as the winner. Sonnen sensed sincerity in Justin Gaethje's prediction.

Speaking about the same on his YouTube channel, Sonnen said:

"He [Justin Gaethje] finally did weigh in [on UFC 280 main event]. He said it's probably going to be a decision and he took Islam. I've heard six fighters from that division [lightweight] weigh in on this fight, only one has taken Islam officially and that's Gaethje. That surprises me. The fighters, the locker room, the boys that would know, are disagreeing three-to-one [odds] with the bettors."

Sonnen also pointed out that Gaethje and Makhachev are both managed by Ali Abdelaziz and that the pair may have spent some time together in training rooms and social gatherings.

Watch the full video below:

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Dustin Poirier predicts the winner of Charles Oliveira vs. Islam Makhachev

Charles Oliveira made the first successful defense of his lightweight championship against Dustin Poirier at UFC 269, six months after he captured the vacant throne at UFC 262.

The former interim lightweight champion came up short in his second shot at the coveted gold, succumbing to a submission loss at the the hands of his Brazilian rival. Poirier graciously vowed to donate $20,000 to Charles Oliveira's non-profit organization in Brazil in the aftermath of the fight.

Most recently, 'The Diamond' offered his prediction for the upcoming clash between Charles Oliveira and Islam Makhachev at UFC 280. Poirier picked 'do Bronx' to emerge victorious, keeping in mind the threat the Brazilian poses with his wide array of skills.

In an interview with Heavy Sports, Poirier stated:

"I'm leaning towards Oliveira. Only because I've been in there with him and I know how dangerous he is."

Watch the video below: