Former undisputed ligthweight champion, Charles Oliveira has revealed he still plans to make a return to the Octagon in January of next year – despite Dana White recently axing reported plans for him to take on Islam Makhachev at UFC 297 that month in Toronto, Canada.
Oliveira, the current number one ranked lightweight contender and former undisputed division champion, withdrew from a scheduled rematch with the above-mentioned, Makhachev atop a UFC 294 pay-per-view card last month in Abu Dhabi, UAE, after suffering a nasty laceration during his final sparring session ahead of the bout.
Sidelined since June of this year, Oliveira, the most prolific finisher in the history of the promotion and also the most prolific all-time submission threat, turned in a stunning first round ground strikes TKO win over perennial contender, Beneil Dariush in the pair’s championship eliminator in ‘The Great White North’.