UFC Hall of Famer issues Charles Oliveira blunt reality check about Rafael Fiziev fight: "That's scary"

A former UFC champion recently gave his take on Charles Oliveira's upcoming fight against Rafael Fiziev. They believe the Brazilian is making a mistake by quickly returning to the octagon.

Oliveira is scheduled to headline UFC Rio in a lightweight bout against Fiziev at Farmasi Arena in Rio de Janeiro on Oct. 11. Notably, the former champion will fight in front of his home crowd for the first time since UFC Brasilia in March 2020, where he submitted Kevin Lee with a guillotine choke in the third round.

In a recent YouTube video, former UFC double champion Daniel Cormier expressed his thoughts on the matchup. He voiced concerns for Oliveira, who is coming off a devastating opening-round knockout loss to Ilia Topuria at UFC 317 in June:

''I saw yesterday or couple days ago a fight announcement for Charles Oliveira versus Rafael Fiziev. And immediately I got excited, right?... But then you start to digest the idea that Charles Oliveira last month got knocked out bad by Ilia Topuria. And everybody likes Charles Oliveira. We all do... But then you wonder why so soon?''

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He continued:

''That was my thought once I calm down from the excitement... I thought to myself, why so soon for 'do Bronx'? I get that it's in Rio... It will be like three months from that knockout to when he steps back into the octagon to fight again. For me, that's scary because I remember one of our great champions, Alexander Volkanovski taking a fight against Islam [Makhachev], getting knocked out, rushing back... when the people around Charles get the call that they want him to fight then, why not go to Charles and go, 'hey it might be a little too soon.'''

Check out Daniel Cormier's comments below (0:25):

Meanwhile, Fiziev broke his three-fight skid by securing a unanimous decision win over emerging prospect Ignacio Bahamondes at UFC Baku.

Former title challenger warns Charles Oliveira about Rafael Fiziev’s striking threat

In a recent YouTube video, former lightweight title challenger Renato Moicano offered his thoughts on Charles Oliveira's return against Rafael Fiziev at UFC Rio in October.

Moicano said that Fiziev’s striking ability could pose a serious threat to Oliveira:

''The worst fight in the whole lightweight rankings for Charles. In my opinion, Fiziev is the best striker in the division, actually the best striker I’ve ever faced and I see the UFC wanting to put Fiziev on a title run again.'' [H/t: Sherdog]

About the author

Swagat is a dynamic MMA writer with a total experience of a little less than a year, which includes time in retail and sports journalism. He holds an MBA degree.

Swagat fell in love with the sport after watching the iconic grudge match between Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier at UFC 182 in early 2015. Nate Diaz holds a special place in his heart for the Stockton native’s entertaining fan-friendly style and ability to deliver exciting fights regardless of the opponent.

In terms of rule changes in MMA, Swagat advocates for making scores public after each round, adding transparency to judging decisions.

Swagat prioritizes accuracy and relevance while writing and conducts thorough research to ensure the content is fresh and reliable.

He enjoys playing football and painting during his free time.

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Edited by Swagat Kumar Jena