Islam Makhachev vs Charles Oliveira Prediction: Everything will be different now

Prediction for the UFC 294 Islam Makhachev vs Charles Oliveira match which will take place on October 21st. Who will turn out to be stronger? Check the team conditions! Several betting options are available.

Islam Makhachev is Khabib Nurmagomedov's closest friend and has been in his shadow for a long time. Meanwhile, according to many experts, his skills are not inferior to Khabib's (even though he fights in a different style), and Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov said that Islam is more talented than his son and is likely to go even further.

Makhachev suffered the only defeat of his career in 2015 when the unknown Adriano Martins knocked him out. It was an unbelievable accident caused by underestimating the opponent, which everyone recognizes. After this failure, Islam won twelve confident victories in a row. In his last two fights, he defeated Oliveira and Alex Volkanovski, which silenced all the skeptics.

It took Oliveira a long time to get to the title, through losses and setbacks, but he did it by knocking out Michael Chandler in 2021. He quickly choked out Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje before facing Islam Makhachev, a fight in which he struggled.

Many people were sure that Oliveira was broken and could not advance to a higher level after that fight. However, Charles proved otherwise, and in June, he gave Beneil Dariush no chance, finishing him in the first round.

Oliveira's fight is not like Makhachev's, and on his way to the title, he has set an incredible number of records, many of which will not be broken anytime soon.

The second fight is unlikely to end as quickly as the first, and there's no way Oliveira hasn't drawn the correct conclusions. A year ago, the Brazilian was not mentally ready and lost before the fight, but now the story is different - he had time to work on his mistakes and defeat his inner demons. The ex-champion has spent a year seeking revenge and preparing for this confrontation so that everything will be different now.

Besides, Charles Oliveira is not inferior to Islam regarding skill and physical preparation, and Makhachev is perfect in guard (with tops).

Islam must fight harder this time, but he's the favorite. He will approach the rematch disciplined and can only lose under certain circumstances. He will probably get his way, if not early, with difficulty, but on points or in the late rounds.