Charles Oliviera Says He Was Too Emotionally Involved Ahead of First Makhachev Bout

Charles Oliveira claims that he wasn’t in the right mindset heading into his lightweight title bout against Islam Makhachev at UFC 280.

In an interview with Brazilian outlet AgFight, Oliveira admitted that his mentality was affected by the tension surrounding the fight, which Makhachev won via second-round submission in October 2022. Part of that was due to statements made by Khabib Nurmagomedov expressing extreme confidence in his protege. Those, Oliveira says, caused him to “get too involved” in wanting to make a statement against his opponent.

“Do Bronx” has vowed that he won’t get distracted by outside comments before his rematch with Makhachev at UFC 294.

“I said some things for that fight that I shouldn't have said. That wasn't me. I ended up getting too emotionally involved,” Oliveira said. “I’ll never say I'm going to kill someone, curse or anything like that. And at times I ended up saying this about Islam: 'Oh, I'm going to kill this guy, I'm going to do this and that.’ I never said that in my life. I ended up responding to things that were said by them at the press conference. This time I just want to be me.”

The rematch with Makhachev will occur almost exactly one year after their first meeting. Oliveira says he still hasn’t watched that fight.

“No [I didn't watch the fight]. I don't really like talking about fighting, because people talk too much,” he said. “From the bottom of my heart, in the fight against Islam, it wasn't me inside. I didn't find myself. Islam was better than me that night. I just want to find myself in the fight. I don't have the feeling that I was there, I did my best, I fought a war. I want to be 100% mentally, spiritually and physically to make it happen.”