Report: Charles Oliveira, Beneil Dariush Clash Pulled from UFC 288

Per sources: the scheduled lightweight fight between Charles Oliveira and Beneil Dariush for #UFC288 it's being pushed due to an undisclosed injury on Oliveira's side. The promotion is now working on a new date .

Via @ESPNDeporteshttps://t.co/M0j549OhGr

— Carlos Contreras Legaspi (@CCLegaspi) April 14, 2023

Former Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight champion Charles Oliveira has been forced to pull out from his scheduled tilt against Beneil Dariush at UFC 288 on May 6 according to a report by ESPN Deportes’ Carlos Contreras Legaspi.

The nature of Oliveira’s injury, or its severity, is not yet known. The injury has thrown a wrench into the UFC’s plans, leaving Dariush without an opponent for the upcoming event at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Legaspi’s report stated that the UFC is looking to postpone the contest for a future card.

Oliveira, 33, saw an 11-fight winning streak smashed and his lightweight crown taken by Islam Makhachev on Oct. 22 of last year. The Brazilian (33-9, 1 NC) has not competed since being finished via arm-triangle choke in the second round last fall.

Dariush, also 33, has been red hot and won eight straight bouts. The Kings MMA product, 22-4-1, defeated Mateusz Gamrot by unanimous decision at UFC 280 in his last action.

UFC 288 will be headlined by a 135-pound title fight pitting champion Aljamain Sterling against former two-division king Henry Cejudo and will also host a strawweight bout matching Jessica Andrade against Xiaonan Yan in the co-feature.