Since Charles Oliveira dismantled Beneil Dariush at UFC 289, the echoes of a potential rematch with Islam Makhachev have reverberated throughout the MMA world. The aftermath of Oliveira’s spectacular victory sparked a war of words between the two fighters, igniting the flames of anticipation for a rematch that seemed tantalizingly close. This matchup holds the promise of redemption for Oliveira, a chance to rewrite his narrative against the formidable Dagestani opponent.
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However, casting a dissenting shadow of opinion, former UFC title challenger Chael Sonnen sees a different path. Despite Oliveira’s triumph, Sonnen perceives the Iranian fighter as the top contender for the reigning UFC lightweight champion, defying expectations in the face of his recent opening-round loss.
Chael Sonnen sees a strong possibility of Beneil Dariush fighting Islam Makhachev
In his recent video, Chael Sonnen delved into the discussion surrounding the next opponent for Islam Makhachev, holding the possibility of Beneil Dariush high above Charles Oliveira’s.
With conviction, the UFC legend stated, “As strong of an argument as I should make that, it should be Benny. That if you want to go and take resumes and look at absolute, most impressive and- if that’s the way we’re going to do things, then it’s Benny. If you go and you take Islam’s account into this, you carry it all what Islam has to say… He says it should be Benny.”
The 46-year-old further added, “Charles has limited himself in every which way. Not to mention, the matchmakers’ meeting was on Tuesday, we knew, all knew about that it was said it [Islam Makhachev’s opponent] was going to be picked there. And it was not said… And if nothing is said, yeah, it was. There’s your answer.”
Expanding his analysis, Sonnen delved into other notable fighters to keep an eye on, bringing another dimension to the discussion.
Other names in Islam Makhachev’s opponent race?
Later in the discussion, the former UFC fighter actively mentioned the highly anticipated upcoming fight between Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje, a rematch that holds the coveted BMF (Baddest Motherf**ker) title on the line. While the prospect of either of these two facing Islam Makhachev sounds intriguing, Sonnen expressed doubt about it materializing.
Sonnen remarked, “We only have one other match to look at. And that’s Poirier and Gaethje. And they are going to go out there and bludgeon each other… Nobody is going to be fighting in October.”
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He had previously hinted that Poirier could jeopardize Oliveira’s chances of fighting Makhachev, but he is also convinced that a title fight for ‘The Diamond’ in October is unlikely to come to fruition.
Do you think Charles Oliveira should get the rematch? Or Islam Makhachev should get a fresh challenge? Let us know in the comments below.
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