Michael Bisping names three potential opponents for Charles Oliveira's next fight: "All three of them would love another crack to right the wrongs"
Former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira failed to reclaim his belt against Islam Makhachev at UFC 280. He was submitted in the second round in the main event.
The Brazilian's performance may not earn him an immediate rematch for the title and he may have to look for another opponent. Former UFC champion and color commentator Michael Bisping was asked about potential opponents in a fan Q&A live stream on YouTube.
Bisping responded with three former opponents who would relish the opportunity to redeem themselves against the Brazilian:
"Well, Charles wants to get right back in there, doesn't he? Which I respect, and I admire. But sadly, he got beat and he got in such a fashion that no one's calling for an immediate rematch. So, for Charles Oliveira, next opponent, I don't know. Maybe a Poirier, maybe a Gaethje, maybe a Chandler. One of those ones, you know, because they were f*cking epic, epic fights. And I'm sure all three of them would love another crack to right the wrongs."
'Do Bronx' defeated Michael Chandler, Dustin Poirier, and Justin Gaethje in succession during his incredible 11-fight win streak.
Bisping also weighed in on the possibility of Conor McGregor returning to face Oliveira, but ruled it out:
"So, Conor McGregor, he's [not] in the USADA testing pool. And I saw a video on YouTube, Dana confirming that Conor is gonna have to do six months in the USADA testing pool before he can fight again. So I don't think Conor's gonna be fighting anytime soon."
Watch the complete live stream on Michael Bisping's YouTube channel:
Charles Oliveira apologizes to his fans after loss to Islam Makhachev
It did not quite go to plan for Charles Oliveira against Islam Makhachev. The Dagestani bakced up his pre-fight claims. As predicted by his coach Khabib Nurmagomedov, he made quick work of his opponent in Abu Dhabi.
Oliveira took to his social media to issue a lengthy statement explaining the loss and apologizing for it, saying:
“Hey everyone from Brazil and the rest of the world, everyone that supported me and cheered me on, I just wanted to pass by here to send out a message and simply apologize. I believe that everything I did in training was done right, including the weight cut, but yesterday I wasn’t able to find myself in the fight. Yesterday, Islam was better than I was in terms of timing and did an overall better fight, coming out as champion.” [translation h/t XcellentMMA]
He admitted that he could have done much better in the fight, but promised fans that he will return stronger and prepare harder for his next challenge.
Hear Charles Oliveira's complete statement uploaded by XcellentMMA on YouTube: