On May 6th, 2023, former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira (22-4-1 MMA, 16-4-1 UFC) will take on top contender Beneil Dariush (33-9 MMA, 21-9 UFC) in UFC 288.
According to MMA Junkie, both fighters have signed the contract with only the location yet to be determined. Oliveira, who is 33 years of age, will attempt to recover from his unsuccessful bid for the title when he fought Islam Makhachev at UFC 280, thus ending a series of 11 consecutive victories.
He first won a title at UFC 262 when he defeated Michael Chandler, and he successfully defended it when he beat Dustin Poirier by submission at UFC 269.
Charles Oliveira vs. Beneil Dariush is set for UFC 288 on May 6 🔥
📰 https://t.co/Whzm5nEx10 pic.twitter.com/iWJIPXxcob
— MMAFighting.com (@MMAFighting) February 21, 2023
He had also previously triumphed over Justin Gaethje, but Oliveira lost the title due to being half a pound over the weight limit.
While that may be the case, the Brazilian fighter holds the record for most finishes (19) in the UFC. He also possesses the most victories by submission (16).
Meanwhile, Dariush has been victorious in his last eight contests since November 2018, which has earned him the fourth spot in the lightweight rankings.
At UFC 280, he triumphed over Mateusz Gamrot in a unanimous decision. In his 13 years of combat, he has earned considerable wins against Tony Ferguson, and Michael Johnson to name a few.
And yet, Oliveira will be his greatest challenge. This is an extremely important bout in the UFC’s lightweight division, as whoever emerges victorious could be the frontrunner for the title held by Makhachev.