‘Who’s the champion?’ – Charles Oliveira sends message to Islam Makhachev after knocking out Beneil Dariush at UFC 289

Charles Oliveira proved he’s still a force to be reckoned with by stopping top lightweight contender Beniel Dariush in one round.

‘Do Bronx’ solidified his status as the best of the rest at 155lbs by knocking out Dariush in the UFC 289 co-main event at Rogers Center in Vancouver.

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Oliveira made it look easy against a top lightweight contender

The former champion looked at his blistering best from the first bell.

Oliveira pushed the pace early and landed several eye-catching shots before the fighters took things to the floor where they both excel.

Dariush had top position and was trying to land ground strikes, but it was his opponent who came closest to finishing the fight with a nasty heel hook attempt.

Oliveira seemed content on his back, despite the fact it meant he was losing the round and causing concern for UFC commentators Jon Anik, Paul Felder, and Daniel Cormier.

Eventually, the 33-year-old decided to get back to his feet and did so with ease before unleashing a flurry of strikes that ultimately led to the fight ending.

After coming close with a head kick earlier, Oliveira landed one through the Dariush guard and followed it up with a punch to drop his rival.

The Brazilian swarmed with ground strikes that forced Dariush to curl into a ball before referee Jason Herzog stepped in to save him from taking any more punishment.

Oliveira celebrated his win by jumping onto the cage and then into the crowd in wild scenes at the UFC’s first Canadian event since September 2019.

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Do Bronx was a popular winner in Canada

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He threatened with submissions before scoring a KO

During his post-fight interview, talk soon turned to lightweight champion Islam Makhachev who instantly reacted to the fight on social media.

“Congrats Charles. But still there’s levels in this game,” he tweeted.

After hearing what his rival had to say, Oliveira responded by asking the crowd, ‘Who is the champion?’

Khabib Nurmagomedov’s protege stopped Oliveira inside two rounds to become a champion at UFC 280 in Abui Dhabi last October.

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Makhachev is the UFC lightweight champion

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Khabib Nurmagomedov’s beat Oliveira at UFC 280

Makhachev defended his belt with a razor-thin decision win over featherweight king Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 284 in February.

The 31-year-old is expected to return at UFC 294 in October.

It’s currently unclear who his opponent will be but Oliveira certainly hasn’t harmed his chances of getting another crack at the lightweight title.

Dustin Poirer and Justin Gaethje will rematch for the BMF strap at UFC 291 next month – the winner of that fight may be granted a shot at Makhachev before Oliveira gets a do-over.