Charles Oliveira rates UFC 318 headliner Dustin Poirier’s striking very highly.
Oliveira (35-10 MMA, 23-10 UFC) has fought the lightweight division’s elite, from the likes of Islam Makhachev, to Arman Tsarukyan, to Dustin Poirier, and Justin Gaethje.
“Do Bronx” was dropped by Poirier in their lightweight title fight at UFC 269, but rallied to submit him in Round 3. Poirier will step into the octagon for a final time when he challenges BMF champion Max Holloway in the UFC 318 main event on July 19 from his home state of Louisiana.
Having fought both Poirier (30-9 MMA, 22-8 UFC) and Holloway (26-8 MMA, 22-8 UFC), Oliveira shared his prediction for the fight.
“When I fought Holloway, I didn’t have the chance to fight because it was too fast because I had an injury,” Oliveira told Full Violence in a translated interview. “I think Holloway is a guy who moves a lot, a guy who catches. But man, Dustin Poirier is a guy that I have huge respect for. For me, of all of the guys I’ve fought, he’s the one with the sharpest boxing. He fights more consciously, he has a very heavy hand. He knows how to play the game. He will fight at home practically, so I think Poirier wins.”
Oliveira will look to reclaim the lightweight title when he takes on Ilia Topuria (16-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) for the vacant belt in the UFC 317 headliner on June 28 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+).
