UFC 300 is almost upon us and naturally, neither the fans nor the fighters can wait for what awaits us. Ahead of Saturday night, the final formalities are all but done. As such, now is the time for fans to lock in their picks. However, what Michael Bisping had to say about Charles Oliveira may be surprising to some.
For those unaware, Charles ‘Do Bronx’ Oliveira faces Arman Tsarukyan in a three-round contest on the main card of UFC 300. Notably, both fighters are coming fresh off of KO wins over Beneil Dariush. Although Oliveira was originally intended to fight Islam Makhachev at UFC 294 last year, he now has the chance to book his ticket to the showdown again.
Intensity at an all-time high for this one 😮💨@CharlesDoBronxs vs @ArmanUFC
[ #UFC300 | SATURDAY | Live on ESPN+ PPV ] pic.twitter.com/LY1YA7uoju
— UFC (@ufc) April 12, 2024
On the other hand, Arman Tsarukyan is very keen to stake his own claim to a rematch with Makhachev, convinced that he can topple the lightweight king if given a full camp. Naturally, the fight has divided the fanbase, with the majority supporting Charles for this one. At the same time, Tsarukyan has proven himself to be a big threat in the division.
Michael Bisping is backing Arman Tsarukyan against Charles Oliveira
Thus, owing to his wrestling and striking prowess, many started touting Arman Tsarukyan as the successor to Islam Makhachev’s reign. Not only that, but seeing how easily Charles came up short against Islam, made many feel that Arman would likely replicate the same. Although he remains a crowd favorite, Charles Oliveira is the underdog for this fight.
For the reasons stated above, many feel that stylistically, Tsarukyan is a bad matchup for Oliveira. As such, former UFC middleweight champion and Hall of Famer Michael Bisping has gone against Charles, a fighter he admittedly is a big fan of, for this fight. Speaking in the press conference reaction, Bisping stated:
“Anytime the camera went on Arman Tsarukyan, this place came alive. They do not like him, he’s been talking a lot of smack, been disrespecting Charles Oliveira and that fight’s phenomenal.
“I’m leaning towards Arman Tsarukyan even though Charles Oliveira, the former champion, beat Justin Gaethje, the most submissions in UFC history, the most bonuses in UFC history, the most finishes in UFC history, the man is excitement personified.”
“I still think Arman Tsarukyan gets the job done.”
For the most part, Michael has been consistent in his stance all throughout. In his recent prediction video, he had picked Arman to beat Charles Oliveira as well. According to the Englishman, Tsarukyan possesses the means to nullify Oliveira’s jiu-jitsu and can outwrestle him whilst competing with him in the standup as well.
How have other fighters predicted Charles Oliveira vs Arman Tsarukyan?
All things considered, Michael Bisping put forth some very valid points as to why Arman Tsarukyan can beat Charles Oliveira. It is perhaps for these same reasons that the Armenian is seen as a favorite outside of Oliveira’s fanbase. With that said, let’s see what other fighters have predicted for the matchup.
Firstly, Alexander Volkanovski, who was once touted to face Charles Oliveira has gone with the Brazilian for this matchup. According to Volk, the fact that Arman is a favorite for the fight and the fact that he is very confident in his standup game will likely result in him coming forward. As such, he will likely find initial success, but could then fall into the same trap as Michael Chandler and Justin Gaethje.
Similarly, Demetrious Johnson also favors Oliveira’s chances seeing that he will have worked on the mistakes from the Islam fight. As ‘Mighty Mouse’ suggests, Tsarukyan could be caught in two minds trying to go into Charles’ guard or letting him get back up. As for Israel Adesanya and Dan Hooker, they too are overwhelmingly in support of Oliveira winning this fight. Do these former champions know something others don’t? Only time will tell.