Charles Oliveira Says He Would Fight Either Tony Ferguson Or Dustin Poirier Next
Rising lightweight contender Charles Oliveira has expressed his interest in facing either Tony Ferguson or Dustin Poirier in his next bout.
Speaking to Ag.Fight, Oliveira stated why he things both these matchups make sense for him next.
“I’m in my best moment, seven wins in a row, five by submission and two by knockout. I don’t leave it to the judges. My managers are sending a direct message to the UFC saying that I’m ready, just call me.” Said Oliveira
“Any of the top five (in the ranking) I would be in. I think (Dustin) Poirier would be a war, because of his fighting style. Tony Ferguson too, is a former champion and, even coming from defeat, he was 12 fights without losing. They would certainly be good names.”
Oliveira is coming off a submission victory over former lightweight interim title challenger Kevin Lee, while Ferguson is coming off a loss against Justin Gaethje that has seen him move down to number three on the rankings.
Most recently, Poirier defeated Dan Hooker in a fight of the night bout moving him above Ferguson in the rankings and one step closer to getting his second shot at the title.
Since that bout, Dan Hooker has voiced his willingness to face Oliveira suggesting to Submission Radio that he gets a matchup with either Oliveira or Ferguson next.
“They shuffled the rankings around a little bit. Felder dropped below Oliveira, and Dustin moved above Tony. So, it’s interesting times. So, obviously the two fights that make the most sense is Dustin verses Tony, and then me verses Oliveira. Those two fights make the most sense, right? But then, yeah, if Dustin wants to sit the rest of the year out and Tony wants to fight, well then I’m the next logical fight for Tony.”
Right now, neither fighter has their next opponent or a date booked for their return to the octagon.
