It looks like a massive lightweight bout between Charles Oliveira and Beneil Dariush is set to go down. Both men have proven themselves as the elite of the 155-pound division, and are likely just one win away each from a crack at becoming the champion of, arguably, the most stacked division in the promotion.
Currently, the division is run by Islam Makhachev, who is gearing up to defend his strap against 145-pound kingpin Alexander Volkanovski this weekend. The winner of that bout could very well be defending their title against either Oliveira or Dariush next.
Charles Oliveira Set To Face Beneil Dariush At UFC 288
According to a report from KO Imenero’s Alvaro Colmenero, Oliveira’s manager, Diego Lima, confirmed that the matchup between his client and Dariush will take place on May 6 at UFC 288 on pay-per-view (PPV). Check it out here:
“Diego Lima, Charles Oliveira’s manager and coach, confirmed to me that Oliveira will fight Beneil Dariush on May 6 at UFC 288,” Colmenero said.
The UFC 288 PPV event has not yet officially been announced, nor does it have a location as of this writing. Oliveira is hoping to pick up a win over Dariush, and to see Makhachev successfully defend his title against Volkanovski, for an opportunity to avenge his loss to Makhachev.
”Thinking about Charles, I want Makhachev to beat Volkanovski, [Oliveira] to beat Dariush and come back for the belt,” Lima said. Regarding Oliveira’s loss to Makhachev, he said “It wasn’t Charles’ night, he didn’t fight well, it was another Charles. Our obligation is to train and come back for that victory. Our idea is to get Charles back to who he is.”
They first locked horns for the vacant lightweight title at UFC 280 in October. Makhachev submitted Oliveira in the second round to become the division’s champion. It will be interesting to see if their paths cross again before the year’s end.
Quotes via MMA Mania
