Islam Makhachev reveals whether he acknowledges Charles Oliveira as the current lightweight champion: "He have to show other fighters good example"  

UFC lightweight contender Islam Makhachev has stated that he considers Charles Oliveira a champion but added that real champions must remain professional and cut weight properly.

Makhachev referred to Oliveira's controversial UFC 274 weight-miss. The Brazilian stepped onto the scale as the 155lbs king but was half a pound over the championship limit. 'Do Bronx' was subsequently stripped of the title and only Justin Gaethje was eligible to take the belt home.

Oliveira fought through the controversy and defeated 'The Highlight' via submission inside the first round. After the bout, Dana White named 'do Bronx' as the No.1 contender for the now-vacant title and Makhachev was later booked as the opponent.

In an interview with TMZ Sports, Islam Makhachev was asked if he considers the Brazilian the lightweight champion. The 31-year-old said:

"He [Charles Oliveira] is a champion but he have to show other fighters a good example because he has to cut weight and he has to be professional."

Makhachev was likely asked the question as the Brazilian has regularly stated that he still considers himself the champion. The 33-year-old Oliveira views UFC 280 as a third title defense and has approached his fight camp with a champion's mindset.

Catch the full TMZ Sports interview here:

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Daniel Cormier on why Islam Makhachev vs. Charles Oliveira is one of the most competitive fights of the year

UFC 280 not only features one of the most stacked cards of the year, but it will also definitively answer who is the current king of the lightweight division.

According to Daniel Cormier, who is a close friend of both Islam Makhachev and his coach Khabib Nurmagomedov, the UFC 280 main event has shades of 'The Eagle' vs. Conor McGregor.

In an interview with ESPN MMA, 'DC' echoed many fans' feelings about Nurmagomedov's clash with 'Notorious' in 2018 when the Russian was the lightweight champion. While many considered the 'The Eagle' unbeatable, there were some at the time who thought McGregor had a chance of knocking him out. Cormier believes the same can be said for Makhachev vs. Oliveira:

"The beauty in this fight is that we have seen Islam Makhachev dominate now, especially the last four fights where he's finishing guys. We have Charles Oliveira dominate 10 finishes, 11 wins in a row.... We're getting it at the right time, we're also getting [it] at a time where you feel like Islam could lose and that is why the fight is so good."

Cormier added:

"Because you very rarely thought that Khabib was going to lose. But you thought that maybe Conor could knock him out. So, the fight [UFC 229] was massive. This is what we got here with Islam and Charles Oliveira because Oliveira is the one guy that I think can actually win the fight."

Catch Daniel Cormier's UFC 280 breakdown here: