Soon after Charles
Oliveira’s withdrawal from
UFC 294’s lightweight title fight against Islam
Makhachev was confirmed, the leader of Chute Boxe Sao Paulo,
Diego Lima, took to social media to give his take on the situation
involving his charge.
Considering the severity of the cut, “do Bronx” received a lot of
criticism from fans and members of the mixed martial arts community
alike for engaging in “hard” sparring sessions merely a few days
away from the scheduled main event.
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Detailing the sequence of events that led to the nasty cut over
Oliveira’s eyebrow, Lima provided clarity to the situation on
Instagram.
“I’m here to explain some things about what happened. I know that
many don’t make a living from this sport and, therefore, give wrong
opinions. In relation to sparring [training that simulates
fighting], it is one of the best training sessions to take the
fight time, press the gas and work on the strategy. The sessions
are always done, but their strength is measured according to the
time for the fight. It was exactly what Charles was training. We
were sparring very calmly, simulating Islam’s game, just like we do
in the locker room a few moments before the fight. At no point was
he exchanging heavy blows with a training partner. Regarding the
injury, it was a headbutt, where, unintentionally, he and his
training partner collided in a ground movement. Unfortunately, it
opened the cut. This is called an accident at work, because our
sport is contact, and there is no way to train without
contact.”
Lima continued to describe the steps carried out following
Oliveira’s injury. Upon assessing the severity, the team decided it
was best to bow out from the rematch with Makhachev.
“Right after the cut, we immediately went to the hospital, where
the eyebrows was stitched. The location of the cut opens very
easily. So, if we decided to try to fight, we would arrive in Abu
Dhabi with all the points apparent. We would have to continue
training and the [cutting weight in the] sauna, which would
interfere with healing. In seven days we would have the stitches
removed and in five days we would be fighting. A jab would open the
cut again, and it could even be much bigger than it was, and the
bleeding would be profuse, running into the eyes and potentially
interfering with the outcome of the fight, including medical
interference.”
Lima sent a message to fans who are disappointed with Oliveira’s
absence from one of the biggest mixed martial arts events of 2023.
Despite the current setback, he is optimistic about the former
champion’s triumphant return to the Octagon.
“I know many are upset, and so are we. Don’t forget that you are
the viewers and for us, it’s our job. We know the risks and are
ready for any unforeseen events. Don’t forget, Charles is coming
off 12 wins in 13 fights; he was one of the only athletes to fight
against all of the top five in such a short period of time; one of
the few champions who has never turned down a fight if he wants to.
Constructive criticism will always exist and will always be
welcome. However, envious people who [talk trash online] will be
blocked. Thank you so much, guys. We’ll be back soon,” wrote Lima.