Coach: Charles Oliveira Gained Valuable Info from Volkanovski vs. Makhachev

Charles Oliveira will have a chance to regain the lightweight crown when he meets Islam Makhachev at UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi on Oct. 21.

Diego Lima, Oliveira’s coach, dismissed the idea that the time zone difference and a long flight played a role in the Brazilian’s loss to Makhachev in their first meeting, which was also in Abu Dhabi.

"Charles is a guy who hardly feels jet lag, he adapts to the time zone very quickly. Every individual reacts differently, and Charles adapted well to Abu Dhabi,” Lima said. “If we were fighting in Mexico City, for example, we would have to arrive much earlier due to the altitude. In the case of Abu Dhabi, we didn't need to arrive so far in advance. Also, Charles doesn't like being far away from home."

In his last outing, Oliveira defeated Beneil Dariush at UFC 289 in Canada, a place where he had never won before. Despite not being a local, “Do Bronx” had the support of the Canadian crowd behind him on that night. Lima reflected on the popularity of the former champion, attributing the number of fans to his charisma and his down-to-earth personality.

"We were ‘kicked out’ of a shopping mall in Abu Dhabi because everything stopped when he arrived. In another shopping mall in Rio de Janeiro, we had to be escorted by security because we couldn't get through the fans,” Lima said. “People see Charles on the street and stop their cars to take photos. I think this popularity is because Charles is a real-life superhuman. He's at the top, he falls, he takes hits, he delivers hits, but he never changes his simple way. He has charisma, he's a unique guy, but he's human. So, this brings him closer to the fans, especially Brazilians, who are a struggling people and have to fight every day.”

After his first victory against Oliveira, Makhachev defeated Alexander Volkanovski in a champion vs. champion matchup at UFC 284. It was a contentious verdict that was disputed by many observers. Regardless of the winner, Lima said that the fight will serve as an example of how to approach the rematch.

"We watched the fight, and I believe Islam won clearly,” he said. “We were able to study what Volkanovski did effectively that we can replicate. Of course, Charles and Volkanovski are different in every sense, but we identified the positive strengths of the Australian in that fight and will adapt them to Charles's game.”