Tag: Charles Oliveira

Arman Tsarukyan says UFC 300 judge apologized for scoring fight in Charles Oliveira’s favor

Arman Tsarukyan says the one judge who scored his fight at UFC 300 against him admitted he was wrong.

[autotag]Arman Tsarukyan[/autotag] says the one judge who scored his fight at UFC 300 against him admitted he was wrong.

Tsarukyan (22-3 MMA, 9-2 UFC) defeated former champion [autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag] (34-10 MMA, 22-10 UFC) by split decision on Saturday’s main card at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. He was puzzled by the outcome.

Both judge Adalaide Byrd and Ron McCarthy gave Tsarukyan Rounds 2 and 3, but it was judge Mike Bell who scored Rounds 1 and 3 for Oliveira, which resulted in a split decision. Tsarukyan said that Bell acknowledged he made a mistake by awarding Oliveira the final frame.

“Yesterday with (Ariel) Helwani, I talked to referee (judge), he did the mistake on the third round because he gave to Oliveira,” Tsarukyan said in an interview with Daniel Cormier. “My coach talked to him. He called my coach and said ‘Sorry, yeah, you were right. I wasn’t give to Oliveira.’ So, he said apologize too for that.”

Tsarukyan, who turned down a short-notice opportunity to challenge UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev, said a loss would have been devastating for him.

“If I lose this fight, I would kill him, yeah,” Tsarukyan said. “He’s going to kill my career, you know? I’ve been training like 10 years non-stop, you know? And like, everyday, like, think about the fight, cut weight, train, like a lot of surgeries, trauma, drama.

“I don’t know, all things together, and, like, some judge, like maybe he was watching his phone. But like, now we’re good. Thank you for that. He said, ‘I understood I was wrong for that.'”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 300.

Why Arman Tsarukyan finds Charles Oliveira ‘more dangerous’ than UFC champ Islam Makhachev

Arman Tsarukyan believes Charles Oliveira is “more dangerous” than current champion Islam Makhachev. The No. 1 contender explains.

LAS VEGAS – Current UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev is not the most dangerous fight in the division, according to No. 1 contender in wait [autotag]Arman Tsarukyan[/autotag].

Armenia’s Tsarukyan (22-3 MMA, 9-2 UFC) believes former champion Charles Oliveira, who he defeated by split decision on the UFC 300 main card, has something over the current titleholder.

“Charles is more dangerous because if he knows very well jiu-jitsu, so it’s like so dangerous for me because if you get that position where he’s good, he can choke you out, and that’s it,” Tsarukyan told reporters at a post-fight news conference. “Like I got in the first round, it was super tight choke. If I didn’t know how to escape from there, maybe I could sleep and lose that fight.”

Makhachev submitted Oliveira for the vacant lightweight title at UFC 280. Oliveira entered that fight on an 11-fight winning streak and would have entered as champion if it wasn’t for missing weight by a half-pound against Justin Gaethje at UFC 274, forcing his title to be vacated.

The margin for error at the top of the lightweight division is razor-thin, which is why the 155-pound title fights are typically the most intriguing in the sport. Tsarukyan, who has shared the cage now with both Oliveira and Makhachev, believes they are very close to one another.

“He’s super strong,” Tsarukyan said about Oliveira. “His punch is very strong too. He knocked out a lot of people, he choked a lot of people. He has the most finishes in our division. He’s one of the best. If you’re going to compare him and Islam, they’re on the same level.”

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Skill for skill, Oliveira is still a top threat, according to Tsarukyan. Beyond his abilities inside the cage, Armenia’s new No. 1 contender for the lightweight title heaped more praise on Oliveira after their fight.

“He’s one of the humble guys in our division, that’s why people like him a lot,” Tsarukyan said. “He’s very appreciated guy. I was thinking he’s going to right away jump on me, like he’s not going to shake my hand, but he did. He’s so nice guy, good fighter, former champion, beat a lot of fighters. It was super exciting to fight with him.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 300.

Spinning Back Clique REPLAY: UFC 300 review, Holloway wins BMF title, Makhachev & McGregor return, more

On “Spinning Back Clique,” our panel discusses the fallout of UFC 300 including, Holloway’s BMF win, McGregor’s return, and more.

Check out this week’s “Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly live show that takes a spin through the biggest topics in mixed martial arts.

This week’s panel of Brian “Goze” Garcia, Mike Bohn and Danny Segura will join host “Gorgeous” George Garcia live at 11:30 a.m. ET (8:30 a.m. PT) to discuss and debate everything around UFC 300:

  • The UFC reached its 300th pay-per-view event, a big milestone for the Las Vegas-based promotion. Where does this massive event rank in UFC history? On paper, it was a great card, and it delivered as promised.
  • [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] arguably made the biggest statement on Saturday night. The former UFC featherweight champion knocked out [autotag]Justin Gaethje[/autotag] in brutal fashion with one second remaining in the fight for the BMF title. So what’s next for Holloway? Should he stay at 155 pounds or go back to 145? Holloway has many options after this career-defining win.
  • On top of Holloway’s win, there were several other important lightweight bouts, as well as other lightweight bookings announced: [autotag]Arman Tsarukyan[/autotag] defeated former champion [autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag], [autotag]Renato Moicano[/autotag] stopped Jalin Turner and [autotag]Bobby Green[/autotag] picked apart Jim Miller. Additionally, the [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] title defense vs. [autotag]Dutin Poirier[/autotag] was made official, along with the return of [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag], who faces lightweight standout [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag] in a welterweight bout. Big news and results that heavily impact the UFC lightweight division.
  • In the main event of UFC 300, [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag] successfully defended his light heavyweight belt for the very first time, knocking out [autotag]Jamahal Hill[/autotag]. It was a huge win for the Brazilian, who requested a heavyweight fight in a quick turnaround at UFC 301 in Brazil next month.
  • In the other undisputed title fight, [autotag]Zhang Weili[/autotag] defended her UFC strawweight belt against fellow Chinese fighter [autotag]Yan Xiaonan[/autotag]. It was a solid showing by Weili, who logged the second title defense of her second championship reign.
  • [autotag]Kayla Harrison[/autotag] made a huge splash on Saturday night. In a dominant showing, she submitted former champion [autotag]Holly Holm[/autotag], a victory that even caught the attention of former two-division UFC champion [autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag]. What’s next for Harrison? Is she a future UFC champion? We unpack it all.
  • Lastly, several other big storylines went down at UFC 300. The panel quickly reviews [autotag]Aljamain Sterling[/autotag]’s featherweight debut, [autotag]Bo Nickal[/autotag]’s submission win, [autotag]Diego Lopes[/autotag]’ most recent first-round finish and more.

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Charles Oliveira unconcerned with selling UFC 300 fight: ‘When that door closes, I’m a lion hunting’

Charles Oliveira prefers to let his fighting do the talking, which is exactly his plan against Arman Tsarukyan at UFC 300.

LAS VEGAS – Former UFC lightweight champion [autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag] prefers to let his fighting do the talking.

Oliveira (34-9 MMA, 22-9 UFC) meets Arman Tsarukyan (21-3 MMA, 8-2 UFC) on Saturday at UFC 300 (pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+) from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Tsarukyan had some choice words for Oliveira, alluding to him being one dimensional. Tsarukyan explained that it’s nothing personal, he’s simply trying to hype up the fight because Oliveira won’t.

“I’ve got to talk about him because he doesn’t talk about me,” Tsarukyan told MMA Junkie and other reporters at Wednesday’s media day. “I want to get people to watch this fight more. That’s why I’ve got to say something about him. I’m just trying to get more fans to watch this fight.”

Oliveira was asked about Tsarukyan’s comments when he took the podium Wednesday, and he wasn’t interested in any back-and-forth.

“Some people sell the fight in a different way. Some people are going to say things, and it doesn’t matter,” Oliveira said through an interpreter. “I sell the fight in just one way: When that door closes, I’m a lion hunting. That’s what I do. That’s my style of selling a fight.”

Oliveira isn’t wrong. He is the UFC’s all-time leader in finishes – including stoppage wins over Michael Chandler, Justin Gaethje, Dustin Poirier, and Beneil Dariush. With a win over Tsarukyan, Oliveira expects to emerge as the No. 1 contender to reclaim gold.

“Dana even said it, that I’m next in line,” Oliveira said. “Then I got injured. Then Islam allegedly is injured, as well. A lot of people are going to say things, but let’s wait. Let’s take one thing at a time. Let’s get this one on Saturday and then we’ll talk about it.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 300.

Video: How UFC 300 affects the lightweight title picture – Gaethje vs. Holloway, Oliveira vs. Tsarukyan, more

On this week’s episode of “Spinning Back Clique,” the panel discusses the UFC 300 lightweight action and how it affects the division’s title picture.

On the latest episode of “Spinning Back Clique,” the panel discusses and breaks down all the lightweight bouts featured at UFC 300.

This Saturday, the historic UFC pay-per-view features many prominent 155-pound matchups that could vastly change the title picture in the division. This includes the BMF title defense, as belt holder [autotag]Justin Gaethje[/autotag] welcomes back [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] to the division,[autotag] Charles Oliveira[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Arman Tsarukyan[/autotag] – which has been labeled as a No. 1 contender bout.

In addition, a pair of bouts featuring veterans [autotag]Jalin Turner[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Renato Moicano[/autotag], and [autotag]Bobby Green[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Jim Miller[/autotag] also take place.

MMA Junkie’s Brian “Goze” Garcia, Danny Segura, Mike Bohn, and host “Gorgeous” George Garcia discussed all the lightweight action that will be on display at UFC 300.

Watch their discussion in the video above, and also don’t miss this week’s complete episode of “Spinning Back Clique” below on YouTube.

https://youtube.com/live/fSjkR02NKpM

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 300.

Spinning Back Clique REPLAY: Everything UFC 300 – Pereira vs. Hill, BMF title fight, Harrison’s debut, more

On this week’s episode of “Spinning Back Clique,” the panel discusses everything UFC 300.

Check out this week’s special edition of “Spinning Back Clique,” where we’ll be breaking down everything UFC 300.

This week’s panel will be composed of Brian “Goze” Garcia, Danny Segura, and host “Gorgeous” George Garcia – along with appearances from Matt Wells, Mike Bohn, Farah Hannoun, Dan Tom, and Nolan King.

For this Monday’s special episode, the panel discussed:

  • The pair of undisputed UFC championship fights headlining UFC 300. In the main event, [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag] makes his first light heavyweight title defense against former champion  [autotag]Jamahal Hill[/autotag], who returns from injury. In the co-main event, [autotag]Zhang Weili[/autotag] takes on fellow Chinese fighter [autotag]Yan Xiaonan[/autotag] in a women’s strawweight bout.
  • The first-ever Baddest Motherf*cker title defense, as BMF champion [autotag]Justin Gaethje[/autotag] welcomes back [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] to the lightweight division. Other key lightweight bouts go down, including [autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Arman Tsarukyan[/autotag], [autotag]Jalin Turner[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Renato Moicano[/autotag], [autotag]Jim Miller[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Bobby Green[/autotag].
  • Highly-touted undefeated middleweight prospect [autotag]Bo Nickal[/autotag]’s return to action. He takes on Cody Brundage in the opening bout of the pay-per-view main card. This will be Nickal’s third fight under the UFC banner.
  • Two-time PFL champion and two-time Judo Olympic gold medalist [autotag]Kayla Harrison[/autotag] makes her highly awaited UFC debut. She takes on former champion [autotag]Holly Holm[/autotag] at bantamweight – a division Harrison will be debuting in. Harrison has previously fought at 155 and 145 pounds.
  • Former UFC bantamweight champion [autotag]Aljamain Sterling[/autotag] has moved up to featherweight. Veteran contender [autotag]Calvin Kattar[/autotag] welcomes him to the division.
  • To cap off the show, the panel will do a quick promo breakdown to hype up the four remaining bouts of the UFC 300 card. This includes [autotag]Jiri Prochazka[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Aleksandar Rakic[/autotag], [autotag]Sodiq Yusuff[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Diego Lopes[/autotag], [autotag]Jessica Andrade[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Marina Rodriguez[/autotag], and [autotag]Deiveson Figueiredo[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Cody Garbrandt[/autotag].

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 300.

UFC free fight: Charles Oliveira rallies to light up Michael Chandler for first title win

Ahead of a potential title eliminator vs. Arman Tsarukyan at UFC 300, watch Charles Oliveira’s first championship win over Michael Chandler.

[autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag] proved he had championship mettle when he battled through some early adversity against [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag].

Oliveira faced Chandler for the vacant lightweight title in the main event of UFC 262 in May 2021. It took “Do Bronx” 28 octagon appearances to earn his first-career title shot.

Round 1 was action packed. Oliveira dropped Chandler with a leg kick early. Chandler charged forward with a combination, prompting Oliveira to shoot for a takedown. Chandler then latched onto a guillotine, but Oliveira popped out and transitioned to his back. Chandler tried to slam his way out of it and eventually escaped. Toward the end of the round, Chandler rocked Oliveira with a big right hand, but the Brazilian survived.

Just when it looked like the momentum was on Chandler’s side, Oliveira tagged an overzealous Chandler with a counter left and finished him to capture the 155-pound strap.

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Oliveira (34-9 MMA, 22-9 UFC) returns to action on April 13 when he takes on Arman Tsarukyan (21-3 MMA, 8-2 UFC) on the pay-per-view main card of UFC 300, which takes place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and follows prelims on ESPN.

Before he faces Tsarukyan, relive Oliveira’s finish of Chandler in the video above.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 300.

Charles Oliveira unbothered by UFC champ Islam Makhachev pushing to fight Dustin Poirier

“I know that I’m the next in line, so that’s it,” Charles Oliveira said of a potential title shot after UFC 300.

[autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag] isn’t too worked up about UFC lightweight champion [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] angling for [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag].

Oliveira (34-9 MMA, 22-9 UFC) meets Arman Tsarukyan at UFC 300 on April 13, in what was declared a No. 1 contender bout. On the same night, Justin Gaethje defends his BMF title against Max Holloway.

But with Makhachev (25-1 MMA, 14-1 UFC) eyeing a June return, he fears that those competing at UFC 300 might not be able to turn around so quickly. That’s why he turned his attention to Poirier (30-8 MMA, 22-7 UFC), who knocked out Benoit Saint Denis at UFC 299 earlier this month.

“I don’t even think about that, to be honest,” Oliveira told MMA Mania through an interpreter. “This is information that comes from the internet, and people talk a lot on the internet. I’m not worried about that. I know that I’m the next in line. So, that’s it.”

After finishing Beneil Dariush last June, Oliveira was scheduled to rematch Makhachev this past October at UFC 294 but was forced out due to a cut. However, instead of a rebooked fight with Makhachev, Oliveira was matched up with Tsarukyan.

So why did Oliveira accept to fight Tsarukyan? The former champion said he wasn’t about to sit on the sidelines until Makhachev was done with Ramadan.

“If I was supposed to wait for the title, I would fight only at the end of the year, and I don’t like to wait too much to fight,” Oliveira said. “I would be waiting for one year almost. So, that’s why I accepted this challenge.”

Tsarukyan called Oliveira “nothing special” outside of grappling, but “Do Bronx” scoffed at his claims.

“For sure, he needs to be a confident guy,” Oliveira said. “He needs to be focused. He deserves all the respect in the world, but I’m not worried about what he’s thinking. I’m just focused on what I’m going to do inside the cage.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 300.

UFC 300 fight card bout order adjusted slightly

Bo Nickal’s UFC 300 card placement has changed ever so slightly.

The UFC 300 bout order has been tweaked ever so slightly, but the change involves perhaps the most highly-debated initial placement.

During the UFC Fight Night 239 broadcast Saturday, the promotion announced [autotag]Bo Nickal[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Cody Brundage[/autotag] will now open the April 13 main card at T-Mobile Arena. [autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Arman Tsarukyan[/autotag] will follow directly thereafter.

IT’S BRACKET MADNESS: Enter USA TODAY’s NCAA tournament bracket contest for a chance at $1 million prize.

The change comes seven days after the promotion first revealed the full fight card bout order during the UFC 299 main card broadcast March 9. The initial order had Nickal (5-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) vs. Brundage (10-5 MMA, 4-4 UFC) above Oliveira (34-9 MMA, 22-9 UFC) vs. Tsarukyan (21-3 MMA, 8-2 UFC), which sparked much discussion and debate among fans.

Brundage took the influx of online messages in stride, as he tweeted “Y’all mother f*ckers know I just work here, right?” Meanwhile, Nickal voiced confidence in the placement by saying his presence increases pay-per-view buys.

Regardless, Nickal, Brundage, Oliveira, and Tsarukyan will still be on the paid portion of the event, just a little earlier.

With the change, the UFC 300 fight card includes:

MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view, 10 p.m. ET)

  • Champion Alex Pereira vs. Jamahal Hill – for light heavyweight title
  • Champion Zhang Weili vs. Yan Xiaonan – for women’s strawweight title
  • Champion Justin Gaethje vs. Max Holloway – for “BMF” title
  • Charles Oliveira vs. Arman Tsarukyan
  • Cody Brundage vs. Bo Nickal

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN/ESPN+, 6 p.m. ET)

  • Jiri Prochazka vs. Aleksandar Rakic
  • Calvin Kattar vs. Aljamain Sterling
  • Kayla Harrison vs. Holly Holm
  • Diego Lopes vs. Sodiq Yusuff
  • Renato Moicano vs. Jalin Turner
  • Jessica Andrade vs. Marina Rodriguez
  • Bobby Green vs. Jim Miller
  • Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Cody Garbrandt

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 300.

Charles Oliveira confident he secures title shot with win at UFC 300: ‘You can’t deny this’

Charles Oliveira undoubtedly expects a title shot if he gets past Arman Tsarukyan.

[autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag] undoubtedly expects a title shot if he gets past [autotag]Arman Tsarukyan[/autotag].

Former lightweight champion Oliveira (34-9 MMA, 22-9 UFC) meets Tsarukyan (21-3 MMA, 8-2 UFC) at UFC 300 on April 13 from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims expected for ESPN and ESPN+.

Oliveira was scheduled to rematch lightweight champion Islam Makhachev this past October at UFC 294, but withdrew due to a cut. Then Makhachev suffered an injury of his own, further delaying their fight. Now, Oliveira has been matched up with Tsarukyan, who’s also coming off a first-round finish of Beneil Dariush.

“I’m ready to go. I’m ready to go for this fight, very excited,” Oliveira told ESPN. “It’s not a matter of can, it’s a matter of will. We know it’s going to happen. I am the next one in line for the title. Islam hurt himself last time, but I’m ready. Let’s make this happen.”

UFC CEO Dana White declared the fight as a No. 1 contender bout when he made the announcement, which further validates Oliveira’s claim. “Do Bronx’s” lone loss since 2017 came to Makhachev in their vacant title fight at UFC 280.

“It’s always important for us,” Oliveira said. “I’m the next one in line. You can’t deny this. But hear it from the boss? So much better.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 300.