The highly anticipated lightweight bout between Charles Oliveira and Beneil Dariush has been rescheduled as the co-main event at UFC 289 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Oliveira, a former lightweight, will be looking to get back on track following his title loss and will have the opportunity to win in Canada for the first time in his career.
Oliveira’s Record in Canada
Despite his impressive record, Oliveira has had a tough time in Canada, losing every time he has competed in the North American nation during his career. He also suffered a bad injury during his bout with Max Holloway in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, resulting in ‘Blessed’ earning a TKO win. Oliveira has a chance to redeem himself and earn his first win in Canada against Dariush.
Oliveira’s coach on how they’re approaching the Dariush clash
Dariush claimed that he trains with jiu-jitsu stars that are better than Oliveira, giving him an edge in their upcoming bout.
Oliveira’s coach Jorge Patina Macaco told Canal Encarnada:
“Charles Oliveira is my black belt, everyone knows that, he has been training with me for years, I’ve known Charles Oliveira since I was 14 years old”
“He got hurt training, and then we have to be training 150% ready for this fight, because he’s number one in the category and he has to beat Darius so we can go back to fighting for the belt and show everyone that Charles Oliveira is the diamond in the favela. It’s a fight that will win the belt again, it’s a tough fight, but if Jesus is in front of everything, it’s easy”
Macaco wouldn’t reveal if Oliveira plans to use BJJ to his advantage:
“Charles is prepared everywhere, in the air, in the sea, on land, on another planet, the best thing about MMA. Charles is good at punching, on the ground, on the stands, to put down, to defend, to fall, it’s a sport. Winning and losing is part of the sport, nobody is free from that… .Only those who don’t compete, only those who sit there talking, putting defects in the stuff, is the guy who will never lose”
“Dariush is a guy who has a lot of strategy, thanks to Master Rafael Cordeiro, who was my teacher. Master Rafael Cordeiro is a guy of respect, who has a very large formation, several top guys who passed to his hand. I’ll count in my hand here, five left quickly, Anderson Silva, Wanderlei, Shogun, Ninja, Cyborg, Cris Cyborg…”
Opportunity to Regain the UFC Lightweight Championship
The stakes are high for both, as a win could lead to a title shot for the winner. Reigning lightweight champion Islam Makhachev is expected to defend his title later this year when the UFC returns to Abu Dhabi.
Oliveira vs. Dariush is an intriguing matchup that could set the winner up for a chance to regain the UFC lightweight championship and avenge Oliveira’s loss to Makhachev.
Rescheduling of the Lightweight Bout
Initially scheduled for UFC 288, the lightweight bout was rescheduled for UFC 289 after Oliveira was forced to withdraw from the event due to a minor injury.
The promotion was able to make adjustments to both events, with Gilbert Burns vs. Belal Muhammad taking the co-main event spot at UFC 288. Oliveira’s injury was not long-term, and he will now have the chance to face Dariush in the co-main event at UFC 289.
