"I will go there around 20 days before" - Charles Oliveira offers peek into his "different" preparations for Islam Makhachev fight in Abu Dhabi
Charles Oliveira is preparing for his fight against Islam Makhachev for lightweight gold in Abu Dhabi. The location was a point of contention for ‘do Bronx’ from the start. However, the former lightweight king and his team now have a plan in place to make sure he can give his very best against the Dagestani fighter.
In an interview with Ag. Fight, the Brazilian was asked how he planned to tackle the problems associated with a place like Abu Dhabi, from the weather to the food. Oliveira said:
“I’m a very focused guy, whenever I come to US or anywhere. I always come and try to sleep at the right time, wake up at the right times, eat the right things. I told Diego [Lima], ‘This time I’ll do something different. I never wanted to come to the US so far in advance. But this time I will go there around 20 days before the fight.”
The No.1-ranked lightweight fighter is clearly taking these steps to help stay mentally focused. This time, the entire team that helps set up his camps will accompany him too. Oliveira was further asked if all his conditions were met by the UFC, to which he said:
“Really I have nothing to complain about the UFC. The UFC has given me huge support. The UFC knows who Charles is. The UFC knows that Charles’ name is getting bigger and bigger.”
Charles Oliveira foresees himself securing a first-round win against Islam Makhachev at UFC 280
As Charles Oliveira gets ready to face Islam Makhachev on Fight Island in October, ‘do Bronx’ has a prediction regarding the fight's outcome. The Brazilian fighter is confident that his Dagestani opponent will use his wrestling background to try and take him down, and he's not bothered by it.
In the same interview, Charles Oliveira explained what he has in store for Makhachev. He spoke about how he will claim a victory in the first round itself:
"He'll try to take me down not through my legs, but through my hips. He'll try to take me down and nullify my legs. He won't come dying to submit me, but rather to wear me out. But man, like I said, I'm not worried about what Makhachev can bring. I'm worried about what Charles can take there. You can be sure it won't go past the first round."
The 32-year-old Charles Oliveira plans to engage Islam Makhachev in a stand-up fight but at the same time is willing to employ the use of his expert jiu-jitsu skills.
Check out the interview (with English subtitles by Brazilian MMA Legends) below: