"One of the greatest kids ever to deal with" - Dana White raves about Charles Oliveira's willingness to take fights
Charles Oliveira is a model fighter as far as UFC president Dana White is concerned.
White was recently asked about the complications of negotiating with Oliveira, given his unusual status of being an uncrowned champion. The Brazilian was previously stripped of the lightweight title but is still widely regarded as the top guy in the 155-pound division.
Addressing the question, White revealed that the UFC never had a tough time negotiating with Oliveira. The promoter proceeded to praise 'do Bronx' for his willingness to take fights against anyone:
"Charles Oliveira is one of the greatest kids ever to deal with, you know," White told reporters at a press conference. "He's an absolute warrior and a stud. Getting him to take fights is never hard. There's never a hard negotiation. That kid is always ready to fight, he's one of the best kids we've ever dealt with."
Watch the full press conference comments below:
Fighters of current times have just begun exercising their leverage in negotiations. Nate Diaz, Francis Ngannou, and Jon Jones are notable examples of fighters who have used their bargaining power to demand better pay and terms from the promotion.
Dana White comments on Charles Oliveira vs. Islam Makhachev
It's difficult to argue against White's description of Oliveira's attitude about taking fights. Despite his repeated requests to fight in his home country of Brazil, the former champion agreed to fight Islam Makhachev in Abu Dhabi – a known friendly territory for Dagestani fighters in the UFC. Needless to say, Oliveira will be at a disadvantage despite his status as the most recent champion.
According to White, the lightweight clash will determine whether or not Khabib Nurmagomedov speaks the truth about his longtime friend and understudy. The UFC boss told media members:
"Khabib has said for a long time that Islam Makhachev is the best in the world. He's gonna be the world champion. He's gonna dominate that division the way that he did. You gotta get through Charles Oliveira first, you know what I mean? Charles Oliveira is no walk over. This kid is a stud. Technically he's not the champion, but to us he is the champion. I'm very excited for that fight."
Check out the tweet below:
🏻
A vacant lightweight title bout between Charles Oliveira and Islam Makhachev is scheduled for October 22 👊🏻
#UFC #MMA | @MAKHACHEVMMA @CharlesDoBronxs @ufc https://t.co/wjXrzWFxbS
Oliveira will get the chance to reclaim the belt against Makhachev in the main event of UFC 280. Furthermore, the Brazilian will have the opportunity to cement his claim as the absolute best in the stacked lightweight division.