Michael Bisping proposes for a neutral venue rematch between Charles Oliveira and Islam Makhachev for THIS reason

Michael Bisping discusses the rumors surrounding Charles Oliveira and Islam Makhachev's long-awaited rematch.

Michael Bisping proposes for a neutral venue rematch between Charles Oliveira and Islam Makhachev for THIS reason

Michael Bisping addresses Charles Oliveira vs Islam Makhachev rematch (Image via Imago)

The long-anticipated lightweight title rematch between Islam Makhachev and Charles Oliveira has once again captured the spotlight. Originally scheduled for UFC 294, Charles Oliveira’s unfortunate injury during a sparring session led to the fight’s cancellation.

In a recent video on his YouTube channel, Michael Bisping shared his thoughts on the possibility of this rematch. Bisping addressed the swirling speculations that Islam Makhachev and Charles Oliveira might face off at UFC 297 in Toronto next year. He said:

And this time neutral territory for both men…because it’s going down in Toronto…but doesn’t really matter when that octagon door shuts it’s you and your opponent and the crowd.

YouTube video

New developments, as reported by MMA journalist Brett Okamoto, shed light on the potential rematch between Makhachev and Oliveira at a highly anticipated UFC event in Saudi Arabia, slated for March 9. Amid swirling rumors, suggesting a potential headline bout at UFC 297 in January, Dana White dismissed these speculations.

While acknowledging Charles Oliveira’s strong claim to the lightweight belt, he emphasized that the timing of the rematch depends on both fighters’ readiness and underlined that “anything is possible.”

Previously, when Charles Oliveira was unable to compete, featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski stepped up to face Makhachev. At UFC 294, Makhachev demonstrated his championship prowess. He delivered a stunning head kick in the first round and secured victory with a ground-and-pound finish.

Charles Oliveira addressed his injury amidst rumors of rematch with Islam Makhachev

Charles Oliveira eagerly anticipates the upcoming rematch with Islam Makhachev. He recently expressed his surprise at the reports of a January showdown at UFC 297. While UFC CEO Dana White has shown interest in booking Oliveira vs. Makhachev 2 in the lightweight division, the timeline hinges on Oliveira’s injury recovery.

Charles Oliveria
Was Charles Oliveira’s injury ahead of UFC 294 intentional ? ( Image via Imagio )

Oliveira himself acknowledged the depth of his injury during a recent interview on the UFC Fight Night 231 post-event show in Sao Paulo. He stated

 It was quite a deep cut…I don’t have any planned, scheduled fights at the moment… I might go back into training in about a week or so.

As per Oliveira, no scheduled fights are on the horizon at the moment. Instead, he was more focused on a well-paced recovery. In about a week, he has planned to make a return to full-contact training. Oliveira’s previous encounter with Islam Makhachev ended in a second-round submission loss during UFC 280 in October 2022.

However, he made a strong comeback with a second-round TKO victory over Beneil Dariush at UFC 289 in June. The Brazilian fighter eagerly awaits the chance to seek redemption and regain the title.

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