"The greats know what makes them tick" - Chael Sonnen says Charles Oliveira fought "mad" against Justin Gaethje and is "angry" heading into Islam Makhachev fight
Former UFC fighter Chael Sonnen believes Charles Oliveira will be stepping into the octagon "angry" against Islam Makhachev. This is because he has complained that Abu Dhabi is effectively a second home for the Russian.
Oliveira and Makhachev will fight for vacant gold of the lightweight division in October. The Brazilian was controversially stripped of the title back in May but defeated Justin Gaethje to cement himself as the No.1 contender for his belt.
For Makhachev, the Russian fighter will put his impressive 10 fight winstreak on the line against Oliveira's 11, hoping to follow in the footsteps of his friend and coach Khabib Nurmagomedov and become the 155lb champ.
Discussing the upcoming title bout on his channel, Chael Sonnen discussed Charles Oliveira's frustration with fighting in Abu Dhabi:
"Charles Oliveira has now done 5, that's a literal number, interviews, complaining about the fact that he has to go to Abu Dhabi. That is interesting to me. He laid out his case. This is where Islam is huge. This is where he's sought out, this is where the money is and his demographic is."
Sonnen added:
"He basically said 'If we're fighting in Abu Dhabi, we're fighting on his home soil'... An angry Oliveira is a very interesting proposition... The greats know what makes them tick. They know themselves well enough to know the position that they have to create, but if you believe it, it becomes true. Charles Oliveira is angry about the location."
Catch the full video on Chael Sonnen's YouTube channel here:
Charles Oliveira thanks the UFC for their support ahead of UFC 280 title bout
Although 'Do Bronx' is angry that he is fighting for the title in Abu Dhabi, the former lightweight champ has still expressed gratitude towards Dana White and the UFC for their recent support.
In a recent interview with Ag.Fight, the Brazilian fighter thanked the organization for understanding his brand and helping him grow:
"The UFC has given me huge support. The UFC knows who Charles is. The UFC knows Charles' name is getting bigger and bigger. And I'm very grateful for that, for everything the UFC is doing. To the peope who are working with us here at the UFC. Since we signed our contract, there are things we asked for and the UFC didn't even hesitate... I can only thank the UFC."
The 32-year-old is already looking past Islam Makhachev. Charles Oliveria has publicly stated that he only accepted the fight against the Russian in order to cement a fight against Conor McGregor, who 'Do Bronx' plans to face in Brazil next year.
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Charles Oliveira talks about fighting Conor McGregor in Brazil. 🇧🇷⚔️🇮🇪 https://t.co/lkFfLF2Wa6
Catch the full interview here: