Former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira to face Beneil Dariush at UFC 288

Former UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira will make his Octagon return against Beneil Dariush on May 6 at UFC 288. 

Oliveira announced the news on his Instagram on Tuesday. 

It will be a crucial fight in the UFC’s lightweight division. The winner between the two 155-pounders could determine the next No. 1 contender for champion Islam Makhachev.  

The 33-year-old Oliveira will try to bounce back from his last contest, where he lost a vacant lightweight title fight to Makhachev last October at UFC 280. 

Oliveira first won a UFC belt in a TKO win over Michael Chandler in May 2021. He went on to defeat Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje in back-to-back fights. In controversial fashion, he was stripped of the UFC lightweight title before his fight with Gaethje due to a missed weight cut.

The Brazil native holds the record for most finishes (19) in UFC history. He also has the most submission wins (16) in company history. 

Dariush is on an eight-fight winning streak dating back to November 2018. The No. 4-ranked lightweight last fought at UFC 280, where he beat Mateusz Gamrot by unanimous decision. He has notable wins over former champion Tony Ferguson, Thiago Moisés, Drew Dober, Jim Miller and Michael Johnson. Oliveira will be the biggest test in Dariush’s 13-year fighting career. 

Aljamain Sterling vs. Henry Cejudo for the bantamweight title is expected to headline UFC 288. Oliveira vs. Dariush would likely be the co-main event. The event does not yet have an official venue or location.