Head of the UFC Dana White declared that the Russian Islam Makhachev I won’t fight the Brazilian Charles Oliveira during a tournament in Toronto in January.
White confirmed that Oliveira is the main contender for the fight with Makhachev, but “the fight will not take place until both fighters are ready”, quoted journalist Brett Okamoto, the president of the UFC.
The information that Makhachev and Oliveira will meet in January in Toronto appeared in the media the day before. Shortly after, Russian manager Ali Abdel-Aziz called it “fake news” and said Makhachev’s next opponent should be American Justin Gaethje. Oliveira also said he had not heard of any such development.
The rematch between Makhachev and Oliveira was supposed to headline the UFC 294 tournament in Abu Dhabi, but the Brazilian was injured and withdrew from the fight. Oliveira was replaced by Australian Alexander Volkanovski, whom Makhachev beat in the first round. In October 2022, the Russian defeated Oliveira early by submission and won the lightweight championship belt.
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Source : MatchTV
I am Ashley Ortiz and I am a professional journalist working for Athletistic. My specialty is in sports journalism, particularly boxing. I have written articles for some of the most renowned publications on the subject, and my work has been featured across both print and digital media platforms.
