In the co-main event of UFC 289, a former champion seeks to earn a shot at redemption, while a long-standing contender vies for his first shot at gold.
Charles Oliveira is looking to return to the top of the UFC lightweight division and a reunion with the title he held with distinction. But to get there, he has to go through a contender with title ambitions of his own.
Beneil Dariush has had to sit and wait for his opportunity, but victory over Oliveira could finally land him the title shot he has felt he has deserved for some time. With a potent combination of elite grappling skills and one-shot knockout power, Dariush is a nightmare matchup for anyone at 155 pounds.
But Oliveira has walked through the fire countless times in his career as he has battled through adversity to capture UFC championship gold. He lost his title to Islam Makhachev in his last outing, and now he wants to defeat Dariush and set up a possible rematch with his nemesis as he looks to avenge that loss and return to the top of the division. As he famously said, “The champ has a name, and that name is Charles Oliveira.” He’ll want to utter that line again.
Ahead of the matchup, former UFC welterweight title challenger and globally respected fight analyst Dan “The Outlaw” Hardy dives into the X’s and O’s of the matchup as he breaks down the matchup in “The War Room.”
Check out Dan’s analysis via the video below.