Charles Oliveira: Former UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira will return to action this weekend at UFC 289. The Brazilian superstar will face Beneil Dariush as he aims to get his title back. So ahead of his first fight back since he lost the belt, we look back at how he lost the title. Follow UFC 289: Amanda Nunes vs Irene Aldana LIVE Streaming updates with Insidesport.IN.
Oliveira won the title in 2022 after beating Michael Chandler. It was an impressive comeback win after Chandler got the better of him in the first round. Oliveira then defended the belt against Dustin Poirier and showed his class yet again with another impressive comeback win. So how did the Brazilian lose the title?
How Did Charles Oliveira Lose His UFC Lightweight Title?
Charles Oliveira title controversy
After his victory over Dustin Poirier, Justin Gaethje was next in line. Gaethje previously held the interim title and was the next best in the division. And after weeks of build-up, the two prepared to settle the debate in the ring. However, things did not go to plan for Oliveira even before they stepped in the octagon.
During the official weigh-in, ‘Do Bronx’ weighed in one pound over the 155lbs. lightweight limit. He then tried desperately, over the next hour, to cut the extra pound. Despite his best efforts, the Brazilian still missed weight. As a result, Charles Oliveira lost the title in the worst possible way, on the scales.
And although he then beat Gaethje, he could not hold the belt as he missed weight. Despite this, ‘Do Bronx’ got another opportunity to win the belt in his next fight when he took on Islam Makhachev for the vacant title.
However, then Russian outclassed the Brazilian, and now Charles Oliveira has to win the title back again. He will hope that a win against highly rated Beneil Dariush will propel him back into the title picture. One thing is for sure, the Brazilian will not risk losing the belt on the scales again.
Do you think Charles Oliveira will regain the UFC belt?
Follow UFC 289: Amanda Nunes vs Irene Aldana LIVE Streaming updates with Insidesport.IN.