Charles Oliveira’s coach and manager, Diego Lima, is confident the winner of the ex-champ’s UFC 300 bout with Arman Tsarukyan will next face lightweight champion Islam Makhachev, even if he thinks the Russian sensation will do everything he can to avoid the match.
When UFC CEO Dana White announced Oliveira vs. Tsarukyan for April 13 in Las Vegas, he said the winner will earn a shot at the belt later this year. Makhachev, however, went on social media Wednesday to reveal his own plans for 2024, which include a clash with Justin Gaethje on June 8 before he faces Oliveira or Tsarukyan at the UFC’s traditional pay-per-view event at Madison Square Garden in November.
“I don’t want to spark controversy here,” Lima told MMA Fighting. “Makhachev is great, he’s the champion for a reason. The guy is really good and has all the merits, but I think it’s clear that he doesn’t want to fight Charles again. He wants out of this fight any way possible. It’s more than clear. Not taking anything away from him, let’s be real clear here, but I think for all he’s doing, ‘I’d rather fight this guy or that guy, I’ll move up a division.’”
“Honestly, I don’t think none of that will happen. I think the winner of this fight will fight Makhachev. There’s nothing else. There’s nowhere to run. I really believe that’s the fight. If you look at Gaethje’s last six fights, if you look at [Dustin] Poirier’s last six fights, if you look at [Beneil] Dariush’s, there’s no one else for him to fight. It’s Charles. In my opinion, it’s clear that he doesn’t want to fight Charles. Not taking anything away from him, it wasn’t Charles that night. We won’t take anything away from him, but everybody saw it. It wasn’t Charles’ night. It was Makhachev’s night, and if they fight again, I’m sure it will be a whole other fight.”
Oliveira was next for Makhachev after knocking out Dariush in June, but he had to withdraw from the Abu Dhabi card due to a cut. Lima said there were talks with the UFC about re-booking it before the Russian suffered an injury that wouldn’t allow him to defend the belt before Ramadan. With Makhachev only returning in the second half of 2024, Oliveira knew he had to stay active.
“Makhachev usually fights in Abu Dhabi [around October], but who’d guarantee he doesn’t fight in August? If he’s only fighting in October, would it be worth waiting a year for Makhachev?” Lima said. “If you’re not seen, you’re not remembered. Let’s say we wait for Makhachev, but then [Tsarukyan], who’s on a good streak, a beautiful win over Dariush – we miss out on UFC 300, a historical card, and let’s suppose [Tsarukyan] knocks out Gaethje or Poirier. Who’d guarantee that it’s Charles [vs. Makhachev] in October instead of him? A lot can happen.”
“We have to be smart,” he continued. “On top of that, Charles can’t stay out for that long. We can’t take risks and not fight. We had to fight once before Makhachev to stay on rhythm, to stay ready for Makhachev, and at the same time we can’t find a nobody, someone lower-ranked. We had to pick someone at the top. [Tsarukyan] was the main name for us to fight, and that’s why this fight was booked.”
Even though he’s a massive star with millions of followers on social media, the fact that Oliveira is no longer a UFC champion means he won’t make pay-per-views points at UFC 300. But Lima said the negotiation was “excellent,” and he’s being “compensated.” Lima considered suggesting an interim belt for the Tsarukyan match since Makhachev is sidelined due to an injury, but was against it in the end because the belt that matters “is the one around Makhachev’s waist.”
“Charles really loved this fight,” Lima said of the UFC 300 bout. “He watches everything, and that’s one guy he likes to watch. Charles loves challenges. Charles’ career is for real. He’s always fought beasts ever since he got in the UFC, so that’s the best fight available for us, the best opportunity.”
