Charles Oliveira touted to retire from MMA with UFC 288 loss: ‘It could be a curtain call’
Former undisputed UFC lightweight champion, Charles Oliveira has been touted to potentially retire from mixed martial arts competition, according to former light heavyweight and middleweight title challenger, Chael Sonnen.
Oliveira, the current #1 ranked lightweight contender, is set to make his Octagon return next month in the co-main event of UFC 287, taking on the streaking Beneil Dariush, who has scored victories in his last eight consecutive Octagon appearances.
Sidelined since October of last year, Charles Oliveira suffered a one-sided second round arm-triangle submission loss to undisputed champion, Islam Makhachev in Abu Dhabi, UAE – in the pair’s vacant championship offing.
Charles Oliveira saw his 12-fight winning run snapped against Islam Makhachev
Vying for a potential title shot against Dariush in the pair’s expected championship-eliminator, Oliveira, has been touted to likely weigh up and consider his future in the sport should he drop a loss to Kings MMA staple, Dariush at UFC 287 in Newark, New Jersey.
“One fight that I’ve got circled on my calendar – I cannot wait for this fight – is Charles Oliveira versus Benny Dariush,” Chael Sonnen said on his YouTube channel. “I like both of those guys and I acknowledge the skill of both of those guys. [But] I have never marked on my calendar and counted down the days for a Benny fight or a Charles fight. You put them together and it can’t get here quick enough. Why do I like this fight? Is it Jiu-Jitsu? Is it standup? Is it [that’s it’s] a number one contender’s fight? Or is it something more evil?”
“Is it, the former champion who was said to be biggest pay-per-view draw of last year, who was on top of the world, who some were arguing could surpass Khabib (Nurmagomedov)… could be done? He could be gone,” Chanel Sonnen explained. “There is no fight that’s a bigger fight than the fight you have after a title fight that didn’t go your way… it could be a curtain call… I’m noticing the magnitude of what’s on this match. It’s a number one contender’s [fight], and it’s possibly a career.” (Transcribed by MMA News)
In his most recent victory, Sao Paulo native, Oliveira defeated former interim lightweight champion, Justin Gaethje with a one-sided first round rear-naked choke submission win back in May of last year after he was stripped of his undisputed crown.
