Khabib Nurmagomedov feels Charles Oliveira is beginning to show signs of pressure around his fight with Islam Makhachev.
Oliveira is not the lightweight champion officially, but for all intents and purposes is still the top fighter in the division after being stripped of his title for missing weight by half-a-pound ahead of his last defence. He ultimately defeated Justin Gaethje in that bout at UFC 274, meaning the title was vacated and he must win it again by defeating Makhachev.
Nurmagomedov, who paved the way for Oliveira to fight for the world title when he vacated the belt in October 2020, will be in Makhachev's corner for the Abu Dhabi showdown on October 22. And he feels that the pressure of finally facing his oft-avoided teammate is beginning to show in the Brazilian's pre-fight comments.
