“When he feels pressure, he gives up…” Islam Makhachev vows to ‘break’ Charles Oliveira again at UFC 294
UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev talked with Brett Okamoto of ESPN. He revealed his path to victory over former champion Charles Oliveira.er champion
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Islam Makhachev Vs. Charles Oliveira, yet again (Source: IMAGO)
Lightweight champion Islam Makhachev will defend his title against Charles Oliveira at UFC 294. Makhachev started the mind games for the rematch by attacking Oliveira’s “alleged weakness” during fights. He stated that Oliveira quits during fights, throwing shade to the arm-triangle choke submission finish from their first fight.
Islam Makhachev spoke with Brett Okamoto of ESPN to promote his fight with Oliveira. He talked about the weakness of Oliveira in the interview. “I took zero damage…I (didn’t) feel the power from Charles…I’m gonna break him. When Charles feels the pressure and power, he gives up.” Makhachev remains extremely confident of defeating Oliveira in the rematch. Only time will tell if Makhachev was correct in his assessment of the Brazilian fighter.
Makhachev made their first fight look effortless. Oliveira could not implement his game plan and failed to counter the wrestling pressure of the Dagestani fighter. Many expected Makhachev to have a tough outing against the Brazilian. However, he made it look easy with utter dominance. The Dagestani fighter took on Alexander “The Great” Volkanovski at UFC 284 for his first title defense.
Meanwhile, Oliveira rebounded from his title loss to Makhachev with a first-round TKO of Beneil Dariush at UFC 289. The Brazilian fighter would look to avenge his loss to Makhachev at UFC 294. The rematch could have major implications in the lightweight division. A trilogy between the two fighters would please the fans if Oliveira emerged victorious.
Charles Oliveira’s complaint about rematch in Abu Dhabi gets a reply from Islam Makhachev
On running things back with Islam Makhachev, Charles Oliveira complained about doing so in Abu Dhabi. While he thought it was unfair, Makhachev clarified that he had made no such demands for a rematch location. Makhachev also reminded Oliveira that he traveled to enemy territory for his first title defense against Alexander Volkanovski in Perth, Australia.
Makhachev wrote back to Oliveira on Twitter. He revealed about his desire to compete in the US during the summer season. However, the UFC had other plans and he could not set the conditions for his next fight.
It appears Charles Oliveira did not want to fight in Abu Dhabi again. However, the UFC puts on a major event in Abu Dhabi once a year. Islam Makhachev is a popular fighter in the Middle Eastern countries. Hence, it was a business decision for the UFC.
In case you missed it:
- “Absolutely” – Dricus du Plessis puts Charles Oliveira as ‘lightweight GOAT’ and shuns Islam Makhachev from conversation
- “Dagestan mountains vs Brazillian Jungles” – Islam Makhachev drops chilling photo with Charles Oliveira sending fans into frenzy ahead of UFC 294 mega-fight
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Nidhin Shibu
(2536 Articles Published)