Dustin Poirier asserts that the Charles Oliveira he encountered has what it takes to overthrow the reigning Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) lightweight king, Islam Makhachev. He bases his belief on the previous performances by Oliveira. The Brazilian fighter had previously successfully executed finishes of Michael Chandler, Poirier himself, and Justin Gaethje. Despite being submitted by Makhachev in the second round of their title bout at UFC 280 in October 2022, he made a remarkable comeback. He was able to defeat Beneil Dariush with a first-round knockout at UFC 289 in June, earning a rematch against Makhachev.
Unfortunately, Oliveira was unable to partake in the rematch, which could’ve provided an opportunity for him to exact revenge. He was scheduled to face Makhachev at UFC 294, but a severe cut, which he suffered during sparring, sidelined him just twelve days before the fight. His replacement was featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski, who ended up suffering a harsh first-round knockout loss.
Poirier, however, maintains his conviction that Oliveira, or “do Bronx,” can overcome Makhachev if given another chance. According to the Louisiana native, Oliveira wasn’t at his peak performance during his defeat at UFC 280. He states, “If Oliveira’s mindset is in, if he’s the same guy who fought me, who fought Chandler, I think he can win that fight.” Poirier continues by indicating that Oliveira appeared checked out during their title fight, stating, “He looked like he didn’t want to be there. He quit on himself, it looked like.” Despite this, Poirier feels assured that given Oliveira’s skillset, once he is fully engaged and prepared, he has every chance to emerge victorious.