Vancouver – UFC lightweight Beneil Dariush revealed earlier in the week that the UFC had promised him a title shot with a win at UFC 289, but to the winner may go the spoils as Charles Oliveira was able to dispatch him within the first round.
Oliveira (34-9) had not fought since losing against the champion Islam Makhachev at UFC 280 in Oct. 2022. With the win over Dariush has Oliveira earned the same reward that was promised to his opponent?
“Incredible performance specially against Beneil who a lot of people thought was going to win this fight,” UFC Pres Dana White said following the event.
“If you look at how that guy turned his career around from like 2016 to today he’s a completely different fighter. What he has accomplished in the last however many years it’s been is unbelievable. What is it like 7-8 years, I mean, it’s amazing what he’s done. He looked like a world beater tonight. I’m excited for him and Islam.”
That sounded a lot like matchmaking after a fight, but hey it’s the fight that makes sense.
“I’m just saying it’s the thing that makes sense. I’ll tell you on Tuesday,” White walked it back a bit smiling.
“Let’s not play games. That fight makes sense. That’s the fight that should happen, and I’m excited to see it again.”
The other side of the coin is the champion Makhachev who recently said he preferred a fresh opponent next rather than a rematch. A matchup with Oliveira wouldn’t fulfill that wish.
“There’s a lot of things that go into consideration for the next fight. I’m sitting here talking to you about him right now. I don’t even know what’s wrong with him. He’s in medicals, I don’t know where he’s at, I don’t know what he’s got planned over the summer. The list goes on and on of things that factor into how fights are made,” White said.
“I’m just telling you right here, right now, it’s a fight i’d like to see.”
Watch the entire post-fight scrum with Dana White above.
