Islam Makhachev has accused Charles Oliveira of being scared to lose whilst telling the former champion his submission skills "won't work" against him.
Oliveira was stripped of his lightweight belt after missing weight for his submission win over Justin Gaethje at UFC 274 last weekend. The division's title is now vacant and Makhachev wants to fight former titleholder Oliveira next to crown the next champion.
Makhachev was scheduled to fight fellow top contender Beneil Dariush in February, but the fight was cancelled - and Oliveira thinks that fight should be rescheduled to decide the challenger for the vacant title. “I think the reality is, Makhachev has to fight Dariush first,” Oliveira told Trocacao Franca.
Who should Charles Oliveira fight next? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below
“They both have to fight and then we’ll see who we’re fighting or not. Makhachev is super tough and deserves all the respect in the world. Dariush is also super tough and has a great team."
Makhachev has now responded to Oliveira's comments, mocking him for asking to fight Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz on the same night. "It's funny you're calling out Nate Diaz who hasn't won a fight in five years and at the same time saying I have to earn something. Just say it, you're scared to lose. Your jiu jitsu won't work in our fight and you know that," he replied.
UFC boss Dana White said he still wants to make Makhachev vs Dariush next, but wouldn't rule out the Russian fighting Oliveira for the vacant belt instead. Now-retired UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov has also demanded his teammate Makhachev fights Oliveira.
Oliveira plans to take some time off after his recent win and see how the rest of his division pans out. 'Do Bronx' thinks Makhachev vs Dariush is a fascinating matchup and it makes sense next, stating: "It will be a great fight, so let them fight first and see what will happen down the line.
"My focus now is going home and getting some rest, and my team will see who we’re fighting. I’ve never ran from a fight and never will. I’ll be there and I’ll be ready [to fight] whoever they put in there with me.
“Everyone I beat, I’ve made it pretty clear. I never let it go the distance, I always finish them. Makhachev and Dariush are the two guys I haven’t fought yet and they both have to make this fight happen. Maybe [the next contender] comes from this fight. The thing is, it makes no difference to me. I’ll be ready. The champion’s name is Charles Oliveira.”
