“I’m next in line,” Charles Oliveira sets sights on Islam Makhachev rematch after the latter’s KO victory against Alexander Volkanovski

Charles Oliveira remains confident on facing Islam Makhachev, despite no such setup by the promotion in place.

“I’m next in line,” Charles Oliveira sets sights on Islam Makhachev rematch after the latter’s KO victory against Alexander Volkanovski

Islam Makhachev and Charles Oliveira (Source: IMAGO)

A rematch between Charles Oliveira and lightweight king Islam Makhachev was to take place at UFC 294 last Saturday. Unfortunately, Oliveira had to withdraw from the fight due to a cut he incurred less than two weeks before the event. Alexander Volkanovski replaced Oliveira, but lost to Makhachev in the first round, leaving Makhachev as the reigning UFC lightweight champion.

Volkanovski’s short-notice bout was also a rematch of the UFC 284 matchup, aimed at the two-division gold. Oliveira discussed his withdrawal from the UFC 294 fight due to the cut. Speaking to Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour on UFC 294, he said:

Whoever the UFC says he’s going to fight; they’re going to fight. Everybody knows I’m next. First in the rankings, coming off of a great win, and ready to fight like I was before. I was ready for that fight until (the cut) happened, and I’m next in line.
YouTube video

Oliveira is not sure what the UFC has planned for him. He thinks he will get the next chance to fight Makhachev for the championship title. Oliveira also wants to keep practicing and upholding his fighting legacy for a long time. He affirms he is confident he will receive the title shot.

FS Video

As of late, Oliveira is fresh off a first-round TKO win over Beneil Dariush. This happened back in June. Before that, he suffered a second-round submission loss to Makhachev last October in Abu Dhabi.

Former UFC Contender and MMA champion gives harsh criticism on Charles Oliveira’s training methods

Former MMA champion Josh Thomson has criticized Charles Oliveira for his training technique. He says it seemingly resulted in his withdrawal from the fight against Islam Makhachev at UFC 294. Oliveira received a cut above his eye during training, which Thomson attributes to the lack of headgear usage.

Charles Oliveira out of UFC 294
Charles Oliveira out of UFC 294 (Source: YouTube/UFC)

Oliveira’s peers have criticized him for his resolve after he withdrew from the fight against Makhachev. However, during a recent episode of the Weighing In podcast, ex-Strikeforce champion and UFC contender Thomson credited Oliveira’s behavior to stupidity on his part. He branded it as a bad decision, saying that this is the very specific reason for buying one.

UFC CEO Dana White was also critical of Oliveira’s team for lack of communication. Nevertheless, the promotion went ahead with Alexander Volkanovski as Oliveira’s replacement.

In case you missed it: