The vacant UFC lightweight title has plenty of contenders. Chief among them is recently deposed champ Charles Oliveira, who was forced out of the title position when he missed weight for his second defense at UFC 274. Islam Makhachev, heir apparent to former lightweight champ Khabib Nurmagomedov, has made no secret of his title goals. Oliveira told the Trocação Franca podcast that Islam needs to earn his shot at the title, most likely by fighting Beniel Dariush.
“I think the reality is, Makhachev has to fight Dariush first. They both have to fight and then we’ll see who we’re fighting or not. Makhachev is super tough and deserves all the respect in the world.
Oliveira: Islam Makhachev Must Earn Title Shot
Dariush is also super tough and has a great team. It will be a great fight, so let them fight first and see what will happen down the line. Like I said, my focus now is going home and getting some rest, and my team will see who we’re fighting. I’ve never ran from a fight and never will. I’ll be there and I’ll be ready [to fight] whoever they put in there with me.”
Oliveira’s fearsome finishing carried him to the lightweight title after years languishing in the rankings. Considering that Islam Makhachev also boasts a terrifying finish rate, many fans are clamoring for Oliveira vs Makhachev.
“Everyone I beat, I’ve made it pretty clear. I never let it go the distance, I always finish them. Makhachev and Dariush are the two guys I haven’t fought yet and they both have to make this fight happen. Maybe [the next contender] comes from this fight. The thing is, it makes no difference to me. I’ll be ready. The champion’s name is Charles Oliveira.”
As for the location, Oliveira has a very clear idea of where he wants to fight. He wants to recapture – or defend, if you ask him – the title in his home country of Brazil. “I’ve asked to fight in December [in Brazil]. I deserve this.
The Brazilian people deserve this. We deserve this, for this fight to be in Brazil. If it’s Sao Paulo, that’s 100 percent. But I would really like this fight to be in Brazil.”
Charles Oliveira maintains that he is the true lightweight champion, even if the official UFC rankings have him placed as number one contender for the vacant belt. The most likely scenario for the 155-pound division is that Oliveira will be granted the opportunity to recapture his belt this year.
Does Islam need another fight before he deserves a shot at Oliveira, or is this the fight to make for the lightweight championship? Let us know in the comments.
