Dustin Poirier says that Charles Oliveira can defeat Islam Makhachev in the match if his mindset is locked in. What did Poirier mean when he talked about Makachev’s mindset being his way to win the match? Continue reading to find out!
At UFC 280 in October 2022, lightweight champion Makhachev decisively defeated Oliveira to win the vacant title. After that, Oliveira made a comeback by stopping Beneil Dariush in the first round via TKO to earn another chance to face Oliveira.
Poirier is among the five fighters in the UFC’s top five lightweight rankings that Oliveira has defeated. Thus, “The Diamond” believes Oliveira can defeat Makhachev if his mentality is correct.
Poirier expressed that if Oliveira maintains the same mindset he had when facing Poirier and Michael Chandler, he believes Oliveira can win the upcoming fight. Poirier shared his opinion that in the previous title fight, Oliveira seemed disinterested and appeared to quit on himself. Despite this, Poirier acknowledged Oliveira’s skills, stating that he has the capabilities to defeat top opponents consistently. Poirier emphasized the importance of Oliveira entering the fight with a focused and determined mindset for success.
Makhachev is fresh off consecutive victories over Alexander Volkanovski, the featherweight champion, at UFC 294—one via decision and the other via first-round head kick knockout.
Although Oliveira withdrew from UFC 294 due to a cut, Poirier was also called upon to replace Makhachev, the promotion ultimately selected Volkanovski. Poirier anticipates that Makhachev will only get bigger after defeating Volkanovski.
At UFC 294 Makhachev won both of his fights against Alexander Volkanovski, the featherweight champion, once via decision and once via first-round head kick knockout.
After Oliveira withdrew from UFC 294 due to a cut, Poirier was also called upon to replace Makhachev; however, Volkanovski was eventually selected by the promotion. Poirier only sees Makachev’s growth continuing once Volkanovski is defeated.
Poirier mentioned that Oliveira has been involved in competition for an extended period and currently holds the championship title. According to Poirier, Oliveira is actively defending his belt and is expected to improve further over time. Poirier noted that Oliveira benefits from being part of an excellent team and training camp, emphasizing the continuous improvement in the skills of fighters in the sport. Poirier added that the days of perceiving someone as a one-dimensional fighter are fading away because everyone is enhancing their proficiency in various aspects of the sport.
What do you think about Poirier’s opinion on the rematch scenario? Is it reasonable for him to make such comments? Do let us know about your thoughts in the comment section!
