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Charles Oliveira was in the form of his life before falling to Islam Makhachev, losing his title. After taking a short break from the sport following UFC 280, he is now ready to return to the octagon and even has a potential opponent in mind.
'Do Bronx' was riding an 11-fight win streak heading into his most recent clash on October 22, beating the who's who of the incredibly tough lightweight division up to that point. Midway through the second round against the Russian, the South American was knocked down and later submitted, ending his reign.
During a recent interview with South American outlet AG Fight, Charles Oliveira gave a timeline for his return. He named Beneil Dariush as a possible fight he would be interested in taking as he aims to go on yet another title charge.
"I didn't come here to play, I came to make history. I want to fight around the end of March [or] April, that's my timing. I need to fight on that date and I need a guy who's winning... With Dariush, the same thing happened to me.
"He stayed outside the top 5 for a long time, wanting the opportunity... Dariush comes from a huge winning streak, he comes from the same school as me, Chute Boxe... Could it be that this is the fight that would put me straight in the fight for the belt?"
Beneil Dariush has been somewhat of a dark horse among the lightweights, and after a rough patch half a decade ago, the 33-year-old has been a sensation inside the octagon, winning eight straight fights.
Check out what Charles Oliveira said as he eyes a return to competition in the post below:
What does a win over Beneil Dariush do for Charles Oliveira?
Having beaten three of the four other contenders in the top five rankings, Charles Oliveira likely doesn't have much to do to stake a claim at another shot at gold in the division.
As Islam Makhachev prepares to defend his strap against Alexander Volkanovski in February, the door will arguably open for a challenger to step up towards the second half of 2023.
Oliveira's return comes at a great time and if he is able to bypass Dariush, a man on an eight-fight win streak and looking better each time he steps into the cage, he will without a doubt be next in line for Dagestani.
