Tag: Charles Oliveira

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.

Why Charles Oliveira vs. Arman Tsarukyan is Daniel Cormier’s favorite UFC 300 matchup

Daniel Cormier is happy to see a potential changing of the guard take place at UFC 300.

[autotag]Daniel Cormier[/autotag] is happy to see a potential changing of the guard in the UFC lightweight division.

Cormier says [autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Arman Tsarukyan[/autotag], which takes place April 13 at UFC 300 from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, is the matchup he’s most looking forward to on the card.

The former UFC dual-champ explained that top lightweight contenders have recently given the opportunity for rising stars – in this case former champ Oliveira (34-9 MMA, 22-9 UFC) giving one to Tsarukyan (21-3 MMA, 8-2 UFC) – which he can appreciate.

“I’ll be honest, I love the China vs. China fight (Weili vs. Xiaonan), wish that happened in China, but for me, it’s about Charles Oliveira and Arman Tsarukyan,” Cormier said on ESPN. “For the first time in a long time, it feels like this division is moving in a direction where all those guys who have been essentially the protectors of the top five are saying, ‘We will fight this next generation of lightweight.’ Can those guys break into that top five?

“Can they break up that quad of Poirier, (Justin) Gaethje, (Michael) Chandler. (Islam) Makhachev never really got a chance. He went as close to the top five as he could and then he became champion. Now can these guys do the same thing? Because for a while, those guys would never even fight them. You’d offer Dustin (Poirier) an Arman Tsarukyan, (and) he’d be like, ‘What? Are you crazy? Why?’ Or Charles. Now those guys are saying, ‘OK, we’ll fight these guys.’ Let’s see what happens.”

That was evident when Gaethje snapped Rafael Fiziev’s winning streak at UFC 286. Poirier will also look to do the same when he meets French standout Benoit Saint-Denis in the co-main event of UFC 299 on March 9.

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

Beneil Dariush: Charles Oliveira vs. Arman Tsarukyan winner will depend on how long UFC 300 fight lasts

Given his two most recent losses are to Charles Oliveira and Arman Tsarukyan, Beneil Dariush provides insight into the UFC 300 matchup.

[autotag]Beneil Dariush[/autotag] has broken down the matchup between former foes [autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag] and [autotag]Arman Tsarukyan[/autotag] at UFC 300.

Oliveira (34-9 MMA, 22-9 UFC) takes on Tsarukyan (21-3 MMA, 8-2 UFC) April 13 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas in what is being dubbed as a No. 1 contender fight. After amassing an eight-fight winning streak, Dariush (22-6-1 MMA, 16-6-1 UFC) was stopped in back-to-back fights by Oliveira and Tsarukyan in his most recent appearances, giving him unique insight into the matchup.

“Man, that’s a really good fight,” Dariush told The Schmo. “I think Arman has a strength and speed advantage, but experience is with Charles. So, it’s just how far in the fight goes and how the fight goes. There’s a lot of components to it. But, yeah, it’s going to be a good fight.”

Dariush was tentative when picking a winner, but he thinks the longer the fight goes, the stronger former UFC lightweight champion Oliveira gets.

“It’s hard to say,” Dariush continued. “I think early I would go with Arman, but if we go deeper into the fight, I would go with Charles. He seems to come alive as the fight goes. He’s got a lot of tricks, and he’s a great fighter, too.

“Great fighters seem to find holes as a fight gets longer, and I think he could pull that off. But at the same time, Arman could finish it early on, or he could ride him out because he’s got all the skills.”

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

Arman Tsarukyan’s coach ahead of UFC 300: Charles Oliveira more dangerous than Islam Makhachev

Arman Tsarukyan’s coach sees Charles Oliveira as a massive threat at UFC 300.

TORONTO – [autotag]Arman Tsarukyan[/autotag]’s coach sees former UFC lightweight champion [autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag] as a massive threat.

Tsarukyan (21-3 MMA, 8-2 UFC) faces Oliveira (34-9 MMA, 22-9 UFC) at UFC 300 on April 13 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas in what UFC CEO Dana White has labeled a No. 1 contender fight.

If Tsarukyan can beat Oliveira, he will earn a rematch with UFC lightweight champion [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag], who beat him in his promotional debut. Marcos “Parrumpa” DaMatta, who will be in Tsarukyan’s corner, believes Oliveira is even more dangerous than Makhachev.

“We don’t have a title shot, yes, but we have a legend,” DaMatta told MMA Junkie. “A guy that’s in my opinion more dangerous than Islam because he’s dangerous everywhere. He’s a good striker, he’s an amazing jiu-jitsu guy. In my opinion, he’s probably the best finisher in UFC history ahead of Royce (Gracie), ahead of Demian (Maia). So, we respect him a lot. We know we’re up for a tough task, but I believe that Arman has the will.”

Oliveira is the UFC’s all-time leader in finishes. “Parrumpa” thinks Tsarukyan needs to have a standout performance to leave no doubt that he’s next in line for the title.

“The game plan is to be complete,” DaMatta said. “The game plan for Charles has to be complete. I’m not going to lie to you. There’s a few things that we think we’re better at, and we’re going to try and put that in our strategy.

“To get a finish will be a statement to make sure that no one doubts that he’s No. 1 contender because Gaethje lost to Charles. If we go there and finish Charles or even beating Charles, I think there’s no way that they’re going to give the title shot to Gaethje before Arman.”

Makhachev wasn’t afraid to tussle on the ground with Oliveira when he submitted him in their title fight at UFC 280, and DaMatta expects Tsarukyan to have the same confidence.

“If Arman gets the chance to knock him down or take him down, he’s going to take advantage of it,” DaMatta said. “He’s not going to be afraid or step back up. No way. He’s going to go in there, be smart about it, don’t play jiu-jitsu with him. Play MMA with him.”

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

Video: Making sense of the UFC’s crowded lightweight title picture

Our “Spinning Back Clique” discusses where Israel Adesanya and Khamzat Chimaev fit into the UFC’s middleweight title picture.

Arguably the most stacked division in the UFC is once again dealing with a logjam of top contenders looking for their shot at gold.

A couple of big matchups have recently been made official, with both having potential No. 1 contender implications. While UFC CEO Dana White labeled the UFC 300 fight between former champ [autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag] and [autotag]Arman Tsarukyan[/autotag] as the No. 1 contender fight, another matchup at UFC 299 between [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Benoit Saint-Denis[/autotag] could have a say.

While the champ [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] recently said he wants to fight [autotag]Justin Gaethje[/autotag] in June, nothing has been solidified just yet.

What is the best way to shake out the title picture? Should Makhachev wait until after UFC 300 to book his next title fight or should Gaethje get the next crack at the champ?

That was a topic of discussion on the latest episode of “Spinning Back Clique,” with panelists Danny Segura, Farah Hannoun, Brian “Goze” Garcia and host “Gorgeous” George Garcia.

Watch the video segment above, or the complete Jan. 8 episode of “Spinning Back Clique” below.

Chael Sonnen adamant Charles Oliveira ‘doesn’t want to fight Islam Makhachev’ after UFC 300 title eliminator

Chael Sonnen is surprised to see Charles Oliveira booked in a UFC title eliminator considering what it leads to: a rematch with Islam Makhachev.

[autotag]Chael Sonnen[/autotag] is surprised to see [autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag] booked in a title eliminator.

Oliveira (34-9 MMA, 22-9 UFC) takes on Arman Tsarukyan (21-3 MMA, 8-2 UFC) in a No. 1 contenders bout April 13 at UFC 300 from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, and Sonnen is confused by this booking.

Oliveira was scheduled to rematch lightweight champion [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] at UFC 294, but a cut forced him out of the fight. He was replaced by featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski, who was knocked out in Round 1.

Many expected Oliveira to be next in line, but with Makhachev injured, “Do Bronx” was booked in a title eliminator vs. Tsarukyan. Not only is Sonnen convinced that the fight won’t happen, he doesn’t think Oliveira even wants to fight Makhachev (25-1 MMA, 14-1 UFC).

“How does Charles find motivation in No. 1 contenders matches when it draws him to the only thing he doesn’t want? And I’m not – guys, I’m really not giving Charles a hard time,” Sonnen said on his YouTube channel. “I’m the one that was right. I’ve been telling you guys. I’ve been telling you for five months, I got to read your comments, ‘Chael, you’re so hard on Charles.’ I’m right about Charles. I understand him, I don’t pick on him at all.

“He’s great, he’s proven he’s great, he’s the second-best fighter in the division. He has proven he’s the second-best fighter in the division. That’s pretty damn impressive, but what I’m sharing with you, there’s one thing that he does not want. This isn’t Chael’s opinion. I got my opinion from him, he told me this, three times, and I just told you guys that he doesn’t want to fight Islam. He doesn’t want to fight Islam to the degree that he has refused to fight Islam.”

Oliveira was dominated in a submission loss to Makhachev in their title fight at UFC 280 in October 2022. He was able to rebound with a first-round TKO of Beneil Dariush at UFC 289.

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

Charles Oliveira listed as slight underdog for UFC 300 fight vs. Arman Tsarukyan

Arman Tsarukyan is facing a tough test against former UFC champ Charles Oliveira – or maybe that should be phrased the other way around.

[autotag]Arman Tsarukyan[/autotag] is facing a tough test against former UFC lightweight champion [autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag] – or maybe that should be phrased the other way around considering the UFC 300 betting odds.

Oliveira (34-9 MMA, 22-9 UFC) and Tsarukyan (21-3 MMA, 8-2 UFC) are set to meet at the UFC’s milestone event April 13 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. According to UFC CEO Dana White, the fight is a No. 1 contender’s matchup, with the winner earning a shot at injured 155-pound champ Islam Makhachev sometime this summer.

Oliveira, No. 2 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie lightweight rankings, is expected to have his hands full against No. 5 Tsarukyan, according to oddsmakers, with Draftkings listing “Do Bronx” as a slight +140 underdog and Tsarukyan a -166 favorite. This means a $100 bet on Oliveira could net $140 if he wins, while a $166 bet would be needed to earn $100 off a Tsarukyan win.

Oliveira, 34, got back in the win colulmn in a big way this past June when he took out Beneil Dariush with a first-round knockout at UFC 289. Oliveira won the vacant lightweight title against Michael Chandler in 2021, then defended it against Dustin Poirier later that year. But he missed weight for a title defense against Justin Gaethje and was stripped of the belt. Against Islam Makhachev in October 2022, he tapped to an arm-triangle choke in the second round trying to recapture the title. It was Oliveira’s first loss in nearly five years.

The 27-year-old Tsarukyan has won three consecutive fights, most recently finishing Dariush in 64 seconds for a vicious TKO Performance of the Night bonus to build on a stoppage of Joaquim Silva and a decision over Damir Ismagulov.

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

Matchup Roundup: New UFC fights announced in the past week (Jan. 1-7)

All the UFC fight announcements that were first reported or confirmed by MMA Junkie in the past week.

MMA fight announcements are hard to follow. With so many outlets and channels available, it’s nearly impossible to organize.

But here at MMA Junkie, we’ve got your back.

Each week, we’ll compile all the newly surfaced fights in one spot. Every Monday, expect a feature listing everything you might have missed from the UFC.

Here are the fight announcements that were broken or confirmed by MMA Junkie or officially announced by the promotions from Jan. 1-7.

Charles Oliveira vs. Arman Tsarukyan No. 1 contender fight set for UFC 300

Former champion Charles Oliveira’s path back to the lightweight title will have to go through a rising Armenian standout.

Former champion [autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag]’s path back to the lightweight title will have to go through a rising Armenian standout.

Oliveira (34-9 MMA, 22-9 UFC) will return at UFC 300 in April to take on [autotag]Arman Tsarukyan[/autotag] (21-3 MMA, 8-2 UFC) in a No. 1 contenders bout. UFC CEO Dana White made the announcement late Sunday on Instagram.

UFC 300 takes place April 13 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims expected for ESPN and ESPN+.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C103uBYLIQ9

Oliveira got back in the win colulmn in a big way this past June when he took out Beneil Dariush with a first-round knockout at UFC 289. Oliveira won the vacant lightweight title against Michael Chandler in 2021, then defended it against Dustin Poirier later that year. But he missed weight for a title defense against Justin Gaethje and was stripped of the belt.

Against Islam Makhachev in October 2022, he tapped to an arm-triangle choke in the second round trying to recapture the title. It was his first loss in nearly five years.

The 27-year-old Tsarukyan has won three straight fights. In December, he took out Dariush in 64 seconds for a vicious TKO Performance of the Night bonus to build on a stoppage of Joaquim Silva and a decision over Damir Ismagulov.

With the addition, the UFC 300 card now includes:

  • Jiri Prochazka vs. Aleksandar Rakic
  • Calvin Kattar vs. Aljamain Sterling
  • Cody Brundage vs. Bo Nickal
  • Charles Oliveira vs. Arman Tsarukyan

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

MMA Junkie’s 2013 top 25 fighters 25 or younger revisited: 10 years hence, where are they now?

A little more than 10 years later, how do our 25 best fighters 25 or younger hold up?

In 2013, MMA Junkie, with the backing of the USA Today mothership, put out a specialty magazine.

MMA Junkie’s “Power” issue was our look, in the middle of that year, at the most influential people in the sport.

The Power list of influential people, not surprisingly, has shifted over the past 10 years. But another key component of the magazine was our look at the top 25 fighters who were 25 or younger at the time.

In mid-2013, when the issue was released, Jon Jones was the light heavyweight champion and working on his fifth title defense – and hadn’t yet turned 26 when the issue was in production. And you’d be safe to presume he made the list.

But who else was on there – and more importantly, how did those fighters pan out? We hit some home runs with our predictions, but there may have been a misfire or two.

Here’s a look back at the Top 25 25 and Younger from our 2013 “Power” issue.