Jump to
Beneil Dariush says he’s getting taken care of if Charles Oliveira pulls out of their matchup again. The two men were slated to co-headline UFC 288 on May 6th, but the fight was scrapped after the former champion withdrew because of an injury.
Beneil Dariush says the UFC gave him ‘insurance’
In a recent sitdown with The Schmo, Beneil Dariush revealed a conversation he had with the UFC following Oliveira’s recent withdrawal. He says the UFC brass offered a rebooking of the Oliveira fight, and gave him some sort of insurance, should “Do Bronx” fail to make it to the fight again.
“They said they want to push the fight to June 10th,” he said. “By the way, I still don’t have a contract so I’m not sure that it’s for sure, but that’s what they told me they want to do. June 10th. And at first, I wasn’t about it, because what if this guy pulls out?
“Then I said a couple of things: ‘Listen, if this guy pulls out again, I want the title shot.’ It was that, and basically, a pay bump, too. And they agreed to both things. If he pulls out, I do get the title shot. I agreed to June 10th, and I got some kind of insurance just in case he pulls out.”
Beneil Dariush thinks Oliveira lacks motivation
Oliveira is no stranger to fight cancellations, but for this one, Dariush believes there is a bigger underlying reason.
“When I was looking at him throughout this whole thing, I’m seeing him in, like, Australia. I’m seeing him with big back tattoos. I don’t feel like he was as focused and motivated. And then you jump into camp not focused, not motivated, and you’re trying to push really hard to make up for lost time. So injuries are more likely to happen.
“Motivation is a big thing for fighters. If you’re not motivated, it’s hard to make it to the fight.”
Beneil Dariush – who is ranked number three at 155 pounds – is coming off a decision win over Mateusz Gamrot at UFC 280 last October as he extends his win streak to eight. Oliveira, meanwhile, broke his ten-fight win streak when he was submitted by Islam Makhachev that same night, and lost the lightweight title in the process.
About the author
