Charles Oliveira recently shot down rumors that he would return to the octagon in January. Weighing In hosts John McCarthy and Josh Thomson shared their thoughts on the former lightweight champion claiming that he needs a break following his defeat at UFC 280.
Discussing Oliveira’s hiatus, Thomson stated:
“When you’re the champ and all that pressure is relieved off your shoulders cause you lost, it’s that sense of ‘Okay, take a deep breath, get refocused, enjoy life.’ Now, a lot of the champions, they’re really enjoying their life as champions, but it’s a different type of enjoyment… You’re all around the world doing what you can to promote.”
Thomson added that Oliveira can now spend time with his family while also starting afresh without a target on his back. John McCarthy chimed in:
“Everyone has seen that red dot when you watch movies… That’s what it’s like to be the champion because all of those guys have that red dot. You’re the focus, you’re the one that everybody wants… It’s the difference. Once you have that belt, now everybody, I don’t care who you are, they wanna fight you. They want to fight the champ and you’ve got that target on you.”
Oliveira will no longer have to deal with the pressure that comes with being the one being hunted by the entire division. It remains to be seen how long of a break he will take before returning to the octagon.
Watch Josh Thomson and John McCarthy discuss Charles Oliveira’s break below (starting at the 1:11:25 mark):
Chael Sonnen suggests Beneil Dariush as Charles Oliveira’s next opponent
Following his loss to Islam Makhachev at UFC 280, many have wondered what will come next for former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira. Former UFC contender and current mixed martial arts analyst Chael Sonnen believes that Beneil Dariush, who also defeated Mateusz Gamrot at UFC 280, makes sense as a potential opponent.
Speaking on his podcast, Beyond the Fight, Sonnen stated:
“Is Benny [Dariush] versus Oliveira the fight to make? One thing that hasn’t been discussed is what do you do with Charles? Right before [Oliveira] left the cage and he’s heartbroken, he says ‘I’ve never asked for a favor, I’ve done anything you’ve ever wanted me to do.’ Right to the UFC, he says, ‘Please, get me on the path to get back in here.'”
Makhachev’s first title defense will likely be against featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski. If Oliveira and Dariush were to face off, however, the winner would almost certainly receive the next title opportunity after Volkanovski.
Watch Chael Sonnen’s comments on Charles Oliveira and Beneil Dariush below (starting at the 5:28 mark):