UFC President Dana White has offered his two cents on Charles Oliveira’s UFC 289 performance and what could be next for him.
Charles Oliveira was in action on June 10. In the co-main event of UFC 289, “do Bronx” sent Beneil Dariush crashing to the mat courtesy of his barrage of strikes. Charles Oliveira finished Beneil Dariush off with ground and pound for the first-round TKO win. It was a historic win for Oliveira as he extended his record for most finishes in the UFC at 20.
Charles Oliveira vs. Islam Makhachev 2?
Speaking to reporters during the UFC 289 post-fight press conference, Dana White admitted that he thinks Oliveira should get a second crack at Makhachev for the UFC Lightweight Championship.
“He looked like a world-beater tonight, and I’m excited for him and Islam to fight again,” White told reporters during the UFC 289 press conference. “It’s the thing that makes sense. I’ll tell you on Tuesday. But yeah, I mean, let’s not play games; that fight makes sense. That’s the fight that should happen. And I’m excited to see it again.”
White was then asked if Makhachev has any say when it comes to his next title challenger. The UFC boss said multiple factors go into making title fights.
“There’s a lot of things that go into consideration for the next [title] fight,” White said. “I mean, I’m sitting here talking to you about him right now, and I don’t even know what’s wrong with him. He’s in medicals. I don’t know where he’s at and what he’s got planned over the summer. The list goes on and on of things that factor into how fights are made. But I’m just telling you right here right now [Makhachev vs. Oliveira] is a fight I’d like to see again.”
Back in October 2022, Charles Oliveira suffered a second-round TKO loss against Islam Makhachev. Oliveira has insisted that he wasn’t himself on fight night.