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A former two-division UFC champion, Daniel Cormier, recently weighed in on Charles Oliveira's upcoming bout and noted that there is a lot more at stake for the Brazilian.
Oliveira is scheduled to fight surging lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan at UFC 300 this Saturday, with the winner getting one step closer to a potential title shot. 'Do Bronx' was originally scheduled to challenge reigning champion Islam Makhachev last October, but was forced to withdraw a week before the bout because of a cut he received while sparring.
During the latest episode of ESPN's Good Guy / Bad Guy, Chael Sonnen asked Cormier who he believes has the most to lose at the historic event. He mentioned that Oliveira is in a difficult situation because a loss to a young contender like Tsarukyan could jeopardize his status in the division. He said:
"Charles Oliveira has the most to lose at UFC 300, Chael. He was the number-one contender. He is now fighting a guy that is on his way up. It's the same situation [as] Dustin Poirier and Benoit Saint Denis...When you are in the position where you got to give the kid a chance, you cannot lose. And if you do, you're really gonna suffer for it." [32:20 - 32:50]
It will be interesting to see whether Cormier's assessment will be correct and if it results in Oliveira being more hesitant with his approach to his bout against Tsarukyan.
Check out the full video below:
Chael Sonnen doesn't believe Charles Oliveira wants a rematch with Islam Makhachev
Chael Sonnen opened up about a potential rematch between Charles Oliveira and UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev and noted that he doesn't believe the Brazilian wants the fight.
During the aforementioned episode, Sonnen mentioned that Oliveira appears more interested in pursuing other bouts than avenging his loss and regaining the lightweight championship. He said:
"He [Oliveira] does not want to fight Islam [Makhachev]...And Oliveira and his manager all within the last seven days have both given separate interviews saying if they win the fight [at UFC 300], they want Conor McGregor. If you're sitting around waiting for Conor McGregor, it means that you're unemployed." [26:08 - 26:28]
