Tag: UFC 288

Charles Oliveira confirms UFC are planning May title eliminator fight with Beneil Dariush: ‘We’re negotiating’

Charles Oliveira UFC 288 Beneil DariushFormer undisputed UFC lightweight champion, Charles Oliveira has confirmed negotiations are underway for a May 6. return to the Octagon at UFC 288 – in the form of a title-eliminator clash against surging division contender, Beneil Dariush. Sao Paulo grappler, Oliveira, who currently boasts the #1 rank in the official lightweight rankings, has yet to […]

Charles Oliveira UFC 288 Beneil Dariush

Former undisputed UFC lightweight champion, Charles Oliveira has confirmed negotiations are underway for a May 6. return to the Octagon at UFC 288 – in the form of a title-eliminator clash against surging division contender, Beneil Dariush.

Sao Paulo grappler, Oliveira, who currently boasts the #1 rank in the official lightweight rankings, has yet to return to active competition since October of last year, on that occasion headlining UFC 280 in a vacant title fight opposite Islam Makhachev.

Seeing his 12-fight undefeated run halted, Oliveira suffered a second round arm-triangle submission loss to Makhachev, who in turn, minted himself as the undisputed lightweight champion.

As for Dariush, the surging Iranian-born force returned on that Abu Dhabi, UAE card also, taking on former two-weight KSW champion, Mateusz Gamrot on the same card, securing a unanimous decision triumph.

Confirming recently how the UFC had approached him with a bout against Oliveira, Dariush claimed that a potential title-eliminator between the duo had been postponed and further pushed back. 

Charles Oliveira confirms fight with Beneil Dariush is currently targeted

However, Oliveira has now also confirmed that negotiations for a fight with Dariush for UFC 288 on May 6. have also taken place, and are currently rumbling along.

“It’s true that we are negotiating to face (Beneil) Dariush, who is coming from a gigantic sequence of wins,” Charles Oliveira said through an interpreter during an interview with The Schmo. “My managers Jorge Patino and Diego Lima and taking care of that. As I said in other interviews, that’s a moment where we have think with reason, not emotion. I must fight the one who will take me to the title shot.”

“My plan is [to] figh April or May, and then fight for the belt by the end of the year [against] the winner of (Alexander) Volkanovski and (Islam) Makhachev,” Charles Oliveira explained. (Transcribed by Sherdog)

Winning the vacant lightweight title back in 2021, Oliveira stopped Michael Chandler in a second round TKO success, before submitting Dustin Poirier with a third round rear-naked choke in December of last year.

Prior to his submission loss to Makhachev, Oliveira stopped Justin Gaethje in May of last year in a first round submission win of his own.

Photo – Charles Oliveira inks massive new back tattoo ahead of UFC comeback

Charles Oliveira TattooAhead of an expected Octagon return in May of this year, former undisputed UFC lightweight champion, Charles Oliveira has inked a new, massive back tattoo of an entire lion’s head and an accompanying mane.  Oliveira, a former undisputed lightweight champion under the banner of the UFC, currently boasts the #1 rank in the official 155lbs […]

Charles Oliveira Tattoo

Ahead of an expected Octagon return in May of this year, former undisputed UFC lightweight champion, Charles Oliveira has inked a new, massive back tattoo of an entire lion’s head and an accompanying mane. 

Oliveira, a former undisputed lightweight champion under the banner of the UFC, currently boasts the #1 rank in the official 155lbs pile, most recently featuring in October of last year.

Headlining UFC 280 in Abu Dhabi, UAE against Islam Makhachev, Sao Paulo native, Charles Oliveira suffered a second round arm-triangle submission loss to the Makhackhala native, in the pair’s vacant championship matchup.

The loss snapped Oliveira’s stunning 12-fight winning spree, having previously minted himself as the undisputed lightweight titleholder, with a 2021 knockout win over Michael Chandler.

In December of that year, Oliveira stopped Dustin Poirier with a third round standing rear-naked choke to successfully defend the title, before submitting Justin Gaethje in Arizona last May in a non-title bout after the Brazilian missed championship weight.

Expected to make his UFC comeback in April or May of this year, Charles Oliveira, who plans to fight for the lightweight crown before the end of 2023, recently got some more tattoo work done in his native Brazil – this time in the form of an entire back piece.

“Charles Oliveira has an INSANE new back tattoo,” Amy Kaplan tweeted. “ARTIST: William Espósito” 

Charles Oliveira expected to make UFC return against Beneil Dariush

Linked with a slew of potential opponents for his Octagon return in the opening quarter of this year, Oliveira, the promotion’s most prolific submission ace and all-time finisher, appears to be on the brink of inking a deal to fight Iran-born contender, Beneil Dariush, who claimed recently the UFC approached him with a matchup against Oliveira for UFC 288 in May. 

“Here’s the thing I’ve been having with Charles (Oliveira) – the UFC were originally like, ‘Hey, what do you think about fighting him in Brazil?’ Which was like a couple weeks ago,” Beneil Dariush said. “I think – or it was last week, I don’t know. And I was like, can I get a little bit more time? It turns out my MCL was torn.” 

“… So I’d like to just start my camp fresh,” Beneil Dariush continued. “Can I have a little bit extra time? So can we do February? And they said, ‘OK, yeah we’ll do February.’ February turned into March, March turned into April. And now they’re (the UFC) are talking about May.”