UFC star Charles Oliveira was scheduled to face Rafael Fiziev in the main event, but Fiziev pulled out due to injury.
Fiziev’s withdrawal left a spot open for contenders, and while many fighters threw their hats in the ring, Oliveira says none of them are serious about stepping up.
“Everybody knows my UFC Rio fight is off,” Oliveira said on Instagram Stories. “But don’t fall for the talk of these guys out there [saying] ‘I’m here, I’ll go,’ because the UFC is calling and they’re all saying, ‘Oh, there’s not enough time to make weight. Oh, I can’t.’ They’re posting this on the internet to get hype.
“Stop it, it’s not a good look. I saw one saying this, another saying that, but when the UFC calls, what do they say? ‘Oh, I can’t. I got belly ache. I broke a finger. I hurt my hand.’ Enough with that, it’s not a good look.”
Despite Oliveira’s comments, fighters like Renato Moicano and Benoit Saint Denis expressed interest in volunteering for the position. However, Denis’s manager later clarified that he couldn’t accept the short-notice bout.
“I want to fight at UFC Rio, I asked for this fight,” Oliveira said. “My opponent got hurt, then 10 guys show up saying they would fight. So far, every time the UFC calls [asking] ‘Let’s fight?’ [they say] ‘I can’t.’ So stop with that because it’s not a good look. Do you want fame? Do something else. Don’t come saying you’ll fight when it’s a lie, OK?”
The former UFC lightweight champion made it clear he wants to remain on the card to fight in front of his home-country fans. For now, there has yet to be an announcement on a potential matchup, but top lightweight Mateusz Gamrot has petitioned for the opportunity.
