So, here’s the latest scoop from the UFC world. Charles Oliveira, the former lightweight champion, is all set to go head-to-head with Arman Tsarukyan. This ain’t just any fight, folks. It’s a title eliminator bout at the much-anticipated UFC 300.
Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Dana White, the big boss of UFC, dropped this bombshell on a quiet Sunday night. The winner of this 155-pound clash will get a shot at the title. And guess who they’ll be facing? None other than Islam Makhachev, who’s currently nursing an injury.
UFC 300 is slated to take place on April 13. The venue? The glitzy T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. And boy, do they have a line-up! Apart from the Oliveira-Tsarukyan showdown, there’s a light heavyweight face-off between Jiri Prochazka and Aleksandar Rakic. Also on the cards is a featherweight scrap between Aljamain Sterling and Calvin Kattar.
Now, let’s talk about Oliveira. The guy’s coming off a first-round technical knockout victory over Beneil Dariush at UFC 289 in June. This win had earned “Do Bronx” a title shot against Makhachev at UFC 294. But, a cut in training forced him to bow out of the October bout. Despite this setback, Oliveira’s record is impressive. He’s won 12 of his last 13 promotional outings. His only defeat during this period? A second-round submission against Makhachev at UFC 280.
On the other side of the ring, we have Tsarukyan. He’s also gunning for a rematch with Makhachev. His first encounter with the reigning lightweight champ at UFC Fight Night 149 in April 2019 didn’t go so well. But since then, the American Top Team standout has won eight of nine bouts. He’s entering the match with Oliveira on a three-bout winning streak. His last match? A quick stoppage of Dariush in just 64 seconds at UFC on ESPN 52 in December.