Charles Oliveira is not taking any risks when it comes to his match against Beneil Dariush. The former lightweight champion revealed in a video on his Instagram stories that a “small injury” had prevented him from preparing properly for what was initially scheduled to be the UFC 288 co-main event on May 6. The bout has since been pulled from the card with plans to reschedule it for a future event.
Injury during Wrestling Practice
Oliveira stated in Portuguese that he was unable to train due to an injury he sustained during wrestling practice. He mentioned trying to train and do as much as he could, but ultimately decided to withdraw from the fight. Oliveira expressed disappointment in not being able to fight alongside his teammates Daniel Santos and Rolando Bedoya at UFC 288 but reiterated that he would continue working and stay focused. While Dariush has mentioned UFC 289 as a possible date for the rescheduled bout, Oliveira did not provide a specific timetable for his return in the video.
Returning to Training Soon
The former champion explained that he needed to stay away from training for a short period to recover and be able to train efficiently again. He believed that pulling out of the fight was the right decision to avoid fighting injured, as he had made that mistake in the past. Oliveira assured fans that he would be back to training soon. “We’re taking one step back so we can take one, two, three steps forward soon,” he stated.
Before his loss to Islam Makhachev, Oliveira had an impressive 11-bout winning streak that comprised victories over notable opponents like Tony Ferguson, Michael Chandler, Justin Gaethje, and Dustin Poirier. On the other hand, Dariush has been enjoying an eight-fight winning streak and might be in line for a title shot with a victory against “Do Bronx.” With both fighters in top form, the rescheduled match between Oliveira and Dariush is certainly one to look forward to.