UFC commentator and former two-division champion Daniel Cormier knows what it’s like to be second-best. His long-standing rivalry with former lightweight champ – and reigning heavyweight champion – Jon Jones is one of the most infamous in the sport.
Perhaps that’s why Cormier took to his YouTube channel to talk about the remarkable performance delivered by former champion Charles Oliveira at UFC 289.
Daniel Cormier: Charles Oliveira Might Not Be UFC Champion, But He’s Closer Than Anyone
“As Makhachev tweeted [after Oliveira’s win], there are levels to this game. Charles Oliveira proved tonight that if he is not the champion, he is just slightly below Islam as the second level. He’s 1A to Islam Makhachev’s champion.”
In his post-fight analysis, Cormier pointed out that, considering how quickly Oliveira was submitted by Makhachev when they fought for the lightweight title, he needed a major statement to return to title contention.
“He needed something big tonight in order to merit or earn another shot at Islam Makhachev’s championship. Tonight, he got out clean. He’s not hurt. He’s not banged up. He’s not bruised.
So I envision we’re going to see Makhachev vs. Oliveira 2 in Abu Dhabi. I anticipate this will be a better fight than we saw the first time, because now Charles Oliveira has been in there with Islam. This kid’s a star. This kid is one of the best fighters in the world.”
Charles Oliveira, in addition to being the former UFC lightweight champion, also boasts several of the promotion’s most enviable records. He holds the UFC record for most Performance of the Night bonuses at 13, the most finishes – 20 – in UFC history, and the most submission wins both in the UFC lightweight division and in UFC history.
With that in mind, it would have been foolish to write Oliveira off ahead of the Dariush fight. “He went after Dariush like he had been shot out of a cannon and he finished him.
He showed once again why he was the lightweight champion. He showed once again why he is littered across the record books.
He has stopped 20 men inside the UFC octagon. That is an absurd amount of people for a guy that’s only 33 or 34 years old. He’s still young. He’s still got time. He’s still going to be here for a while. This guy is tremendous.”
Oliveira will be hoping for a rematch against Islam Makhachev sooner rather than later. The most likely venue is a return to Abu Dhabi later this year, but the fight has yet to be confirmed.
