Going into enemy territory to reclaim the lightweight title wasn’t
Charles
Oliveira’s first choice.
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Oliveira will challenge Islam
Makhachev for the 155-pound belt at the Ultimate Fighting
Championship’s annual event in Abu Dhabi next month. However, UFC
294 on Oct. 21 isn’t the first time Oliveira and Makhachev will
meet at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.
The Brazilian was on an 11-fight win streak and the uncrowned champ
of the 155-pound division when Makhachev submitted him almost
exactly a year prior at the same venue. Even back then, Oliveira
had openly voiced his displeasure at having to go to Abu Dhabi,
which Makhachev’s mentor and teammate Khabib
Nurmagomedov famously labeled “our territory.”
The Brazilian also doesn’t think it’s “necessarily fair” that the
rematch is taking place in Abu Dhabi. However, having been in the
fight game for a long time, „do Bronx“ understands his position as
a challenger well.
“I don’t necessarily think it’s fair, but it’s the game,” Oliveira
said through an interpreter in an interview with My MMA
News. “That’s where the champion is. He calls the shots. But
I’m coming back for my belt wherever that is.”
Oliveira was originally plotting for the matchup to take place when
the UFC returns to his hometown of Sao Paulo after four years on
Nov. 4.
“With 12 years in the game, I just kind of learned how to play the
game,” he said. “I knew that there was a UFC in Sao Paulo. I juast
wanted to shoot my shot and see if it would work, but here we
are.”