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Former UFC Lightweight Champion Charles Oliveira was set to fight current UFC Lightweight Champion Islam Makhachev for a second time at UFC 294, but the fighter suffered an injury and was pulled from the card.
The fighter is now healing up and he expects to get the next opportunity against the lightweight champion.
“Whoever the UFC says he’s going to fight, they’re going to fight,” Oliveira said through a translator on The MMA Hour. “Everybody knows I’m next. First in the rankings, coming off of a great win, and ready to fight like I was before. I was ready for that fight until [the cut] happened, and I’m next in line.”
UFC Featherweight Champion Alexander Volkanovski stepped in on late notice for Oliveira, suffering a first round knockout loss to Makhachev.
Oliveira says he’ll be ready to fight Makhachev whenever the UFC makes the call to have the rematch happen.
“No one has said anything,” Oliveira said. “They know who I am, they know what I’m all about, they know that I’m going to train to become a champion. I’m training and I’m getting ready for it. They know what I’m all about. I don’t fight for money. I fight to make history and I fight for my legacy. So I’m going to continue to train, continue to get prepared and try to get up to 100 percent just like I was right before this fight. When I’m 100 percent, that’s when I’ll be ready to fight.”
