Daniel Cormier thinks the Islam Makhachev rematch may have come too soon for Charles Oliveira to handle.
Lightweight champion Makhachev (24-1 MMA, 13-1 UFC) will run things back with Oliveira (34-9 MMA, 22-9 UFC) in the UFC 294 main event Oct. 21 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.
Oliveira was dropped and submitted by Makhachev in their vacant title fight at UFC 280 this past October. Oliveira since has rebounded with an impressive first-round TKO of Beneil Dariush at UFC 289. Because Oliveira has to go to Abu Dhabi again to rematch Makhachev just one year later, Cormier questions if “Do Bronx” can erase the memory of their first fight and put on a better showing.
“This fight happened last year,” Cormier said on his YouTube channel. “Oliveira told me in our interview that he wasn’t there. He didn’t show up. I thought that was very big of him to openly admit, ‘Look, man. I didn’t show up. It wasn’t me in the octagon that night. I will be better the next time.’ Then he went out there and did what he did to Beneil Dariush and showed that he is better because he didn’t rush, he didn’t get hurt. That was the first fight I’ve seen Charles Oliveira not get dropped.
“He was on the bottom a little bit against Beneil, but he took no damage. He was able to really control the fight, how it went, and he ended up dominating Beneil Dariush. That was the best Charles Oliveira. When you look at that Charles Oliveira and you match him up with Islam again, you start to wonder: Is this the version that can compete against the champion? And has it been long enough for him to forget what it felt like to be in there with him before?”
Despite the rematch between Makhachev and Oliveira coming so soon, Cormier agrees it’s the fight to make based on merit. Oliveira’s most recent wins have come over Dariush, Justin Gaethje, Dustin Poirier, and Michael Chandler – who are all ranked in the UFC’s top five lightweight rankings.
“The setting is set for a better fight, but the setting is also set for a lot of memories for ‘Do Bronx’ that he’s going to have to conquer: same hotel, same venue, same location,” Cormier said. “He’s got to do a lot of mental preparation before he heads back to Abu Dhabi to fight this guy for a second time. But it is the (right lightweight title) fight. It’s the fight based on the fact that Charles has beaten all the rest and he is the No. 1 contender – clearly the No. 1 contender.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 294.
