UFC star Charles Oliveira has broken his silence on the loss to Islam Makhachev two months ago.
Former lightweight champion and current top contender Oliveira took on reigning champion Makhachev at UFC 280 in October. He was looking to reclaim the belt he lost on the scales in his previous outing against Justin Gaethje in May. Makhachev appeared to be in control from the get-go and dominated ‘do Bronx’ en route to a second-round finish.
Makhachev extended his winning run to 11 and snapped Oliveira’s 11-fight win streak on the same night.
In an interview with Super Lutas, Oliveira finally opened up about his loss to Makhachev and remained candid as ever.
“I really don’t like to talk a lot because people interpret it differently,” Oliveira said. “I didn’t feel pressured like you were better than me and from the beginning, you made it very clear. You never gave it. I haven’t watched this fight again, nothing, zero, no highlights, or anything. I didn’t watch the fight. Everything that stands out to me in that fight, won’t make any difference to me. I didn’t have a bad night. I had a bad 10, 15, or 20.”
Oliveira Shared His Analysis of the Fight
‘Do Bronx’ gave his breakdown of what might have gone wrong in the contest. He claimed to have an error in realizing when the first round was over, which presumably led to him taking damage he could have otherwise avoided.
“There’s something to say I’m a very guy who’s very true to what I say. I’ve tried to find an error, I’ve tried to find one. I remember that I took a little fall like an area I think it was there I don’t take that fall on the grid over there. I defend this takedown very well on the body, on the hip, it’s very difficult to take that takedown there.”
Besides the takedown, Oliveira believes he absorbed another shot in the process.
“After I fell there, I even had ideas that there was a moment I think about three minutes in, I thought the first round was finished, the psychology was finished there. I wait and open his hand and that was when he elbowed me. Then I went back I heard the gong and then I opened the guard, the hand was going to lift then he elbowed me.
“It was when I came back I hugged him again. It was over there 2 minutes or a little over 3 minutes.”
Oliveira wouldn’t change anything in a rematch
When asked about what he would change in a potential rematch, Oliveira stayed content in his preparations and did not specifically highlight anything he would do differently.
“Nothing would change. All the fights that I fight, when the fight ends, I don’t even look at a fight and talk like this happened or that happened. I don’t have something that I would do differently.”
During the build-up to the fight, Oliveira made headlines for walking a lion. He argued against the criticism he received for the clip and pinned the result down to Makhachev being better than him on the night.
“A lot of these guys talking that tI was there from the week walking with lion, came talking nonsense. I know how much I trained and dedicated myself as if I were moved on the fourth floor in nothing. I’m the guy that I don’t like to be locked up. You stay inside the room, go crazy. I want to walk, I have to go out.
“I have to look like the head knows but the fight itself what has to be said was better. There isn’t one thing I would change. Anything in my field I wouldn’t change, the weight cut, or anything else. I just don’t know what happened.
“He was better than me. It was so straight, the process was so perfect. I regained my weight so perfect so I don’t have anything to say.”
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UFC Star Charles Oliveira Opens Up on Loss to Islam Makhachev