Fox Sports Australia’s Nick Walshaw brings you all the latest news and views in Aussie and global MMA in his weekly column, The Takedown.

UFC superstar Charles Oliveira has bizarrely promised to race at Menangle Park trots this September – and just weeks before what could be a UFC lightweight title shot stolen from Australia’s Alexander Volkanovski.

Only days out from his hyped showdown at UFC 289, Oliveira has told Fox Sports Australia he will “absolutely” be attending Sydney’s inaugural $2 million TAB Eureka – billed as our harness racing equivalent of The Everest.

Better, the former UFC champion – who is himself a keen trot driver — has agreed to take on Australia’s top pick, Luke McCarthy in a match race.

Yet rather than a one off, the event will simply be just another crossover moment for the Brazilian fighter who faces Beneil Dariush at UFC 289 in Vancouver, Canada this weekend.

Watch UFC 289: Nunes v Aldana and Oliveira v Dariush LIVE on Main Event available on Kayo & Foxtel, Sunday June 11 from 12pm AEST. ORDER NOW >

Already, both men have stated the winner of Sunday’s showdown should be in line to face reigning lightweight champ Islam Makhachev – most likely at UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi on October 22.

However, Australia’s UFC featherweight champ Volkanovski also wants a rematch with Makhachev – and a second shot at ‘champ champ’ status — if he defends his own gold strap in July.

Asked about reclaiming the UFC lightweight title with a win over Dariush on Sunday, Oliveira said: “Everyone knows this one’s to see who is next man up for the UFC title”.

But what if you win, get the October title shot, and UFC boss Dana White … well, maybe he doesn’t like the idea of you bobbing up at the red hots in Sydney’s west only weeks prior?

“No man, I’m not cancelling,” Oliveira laughed on Wednesday via the aid of an interpreter.

“This isn’t something that people have just asked me to do.

“This is what makes me happy.

“(Racing) helps me relax, helps me recharge my batteries.

“Plus, I’ll still be training, still be getting ready. So I won’t be cancelling.”

Oliveira, who lost to Makhachev last start, is the $2.25 outsider against Dariush, who is $1.65 with bookies and on a tear of eight straight wins.

“But with all respect in the world, I’m ready to win on the ground, ready to win with striking … all I want is to get my hand raised,” Oliveira said.

“Then from there, I’ll leave it in the hands of the UFC.

“We’ll win this fight and worry about the next step.”

Told Volkanovski and his team were themselves determined to get next shot at Makhachev, the Brazilian continued: “People can say whatever they like.

“We’re all employees of the UFC and, after this fight, they will make the choices.

“But Alex, he’s a tough guy with great fight in him.

“As a competitor he’s always going to throw himself in the mix.”

Oliveira has agreed to act as an ambassador for the inaugural Eureka event thanks to a relationship with Aaron Bain Racing.

The former UFC champ explained that he initially started out buying horses “five, maybe six years ago” before taking to driving himself.

In 2021, he also had an exhibition race in the US – which he won — against famed American Hall of Fame driver Tim Tetrick

“I’ve always loved horses but never had the means to buy them,” Oliveira said.

“But once I started owning horses I was able to compete, and now I’m coming to Australia in September — I can’t wait.

“I’m also going to compete which is very important for me. I’m excited.”

AUSSIE ROOKIE CHASING ‘BROCK LESNAR’ MOMENT

AUSTRALIA’S Steve Erceg has boldly declared himself capable of winning a UFC world title within as few as three fights – or the same timeframe as WWE superstar Brock Lesnar — declaring: “I’m ready to make a statement”.

Only days out from his hyped Octagon debut at UFC 289, Erceg is promising to cause a boilover as the $3.50 outsider against Czech favourite David Dvorak.

Back in February, the 27-year-old told Fox Sports Australia he planned to go from UFC debutant to champion in as few as five fights across two years.

But after his initial opponent, American Clayton Carpenter, withdrew with injury, the West Australian native is now set to debut against the division’s No.10 ranked fighter.

The Vancouver, Canada card ends a long wait for the Aussie who has twice had UFC opportunities taken from him over the past 18 months due to unforeseen Visa issues.

Yet despite the delays, Erceg now looks to continue his eight-fight tear against a rival who was himself on a run of 16 straight wins before losing consecutive fights to Manel Kape and Matheus Nikolau.

Reminded of his initial five-fight title claim this week, Erceg told The Takedown with a cackle: “I actually think I can get there even faster now.

“Realistically, I’m thinking four fights.

“But I’d also love for it to be three; win this weekend, fight a top five guy and then get a title shot after that.”

Should that happen, Erceg would ink his name alongside some of the fastest title rises in UFC history – among them Anderson Silva, Rampage Jackson, Israel Adesanya, and Lesnar.

It would also see the Aussie come good on some promises he first made to himself when starting out in the sport.

“My goals were turn professional by 21, be in the UFC by 25 and be UFC champion by 27,” he continued.

“Obviously because of the Covid pandemic, and then with me having some Visa issues, it’s meant that some time has been taken away from me.

“But to get (Dvorak) on debut, I couldn’t ask for a better opportunity.

“I’ve had a lot of people tell me recently how all these setbacks, they happen for a reason.

“That God has a plan.

“And now I’m (debuting in the UFC) not only more mature but physically I’m really coming into my own.

“It really does feel like this is me getting some of that time back.”

Erceg added the delays also meant his was debuting in the UFC at a time where he was also ready to “challenge the best guys straight away”.

“And I’m looking to really make a statement this weekend,” he said.

“I see UFC flyweight as a shallower division, but where the top five guys are really good, if for different reasons.

“Like (champion) Brandon Moreno, he has a lot of heart, good boxing … but I think I give him problems with my wrestling, with the scrambles.

“Overall, I feel a lot of the top guys are more one dimensional, want stand up, while I mix it up a lot better, give them different looks and take it to them.”

So as for how he gets it done?

“It doesn’t feel the same if you don’t get a finish,” he stressed.

“So that’s what I will be pushing for.

“And whether that comes on the feet, on the ground, I don’t know … but I’m going to mixing things up and wherever he is weakest, I’ll exploit it.”

NUNES SAYS ‘YES’ TO JONES, ‘NO’ TO SYDNEY

AMANDA Nunes has opened up on her desire to co-headline with fellow UFC superstar Jon Jones before retiring – although not on any card slated for Australia.

Set to defend her bantamweight title against Irene Aldana at UFC 289 this Sunday, Nunes has told Fox Sports Australia she is no chance of ever fighting Down Under but would love to share a billing with Jones, her male GOAT counterpart, before it’s all over.

Elsewhere, the baddest woman on the planet — and fighter widely regarded as the greatest female in UFC history — added that while she remains unsure when that last fight will be, she does expect to hang up the gloves before Jones.

Nunes said that while no one from the UFC had ever spoken with her about sharing a card with Jones, she welcomed the idea of having the baddest man and women co-headline.

“That would be really cool. I would love that,” she told us this week.

“It would definitely be awesome and I do think the pair of us, we have a lot in common.

“We’re both well rounded fighters who create in the cage.

“Jon Jones, he’s powerful too, so I feel like we’re on the same page.”

But as for which GOAT lays their gloves onto that Octagon canvas first?

“I think he has more life left than me,” Nunes conceded, grinning.

“But who knows?

“I will have to feel that after a fight, and I haven’t felt it yet.”

While Ronda Rousey famously headlined UFC 193 in Melbourne before 56,000 fans, Nunes has ruled herself out of ever appearing on an Aussie card.

“It’s too far away, my goodness,” she grinned.

“I just did six hours from Florida (to Vancouver) and that was very, very long for me.”

On her fight with Aldana this Sunday, Nunes said she was ready to go wherever her opponent wants.

“I can’t sleep on Aldana,” she said. “She has good boxing, good movement.

“So I have to stand inside the cage and feel the fight.

“But I know if I connect, I can cause some damage.

“And if this fight goes to the floor, I can see myself dominating as well.

“I can finish it at any time.

“But if we do have to go 25 minutes I’m ready for that too.”

UFC RAISES $13K FOR KIDS

CONGRATULATIONS to Aussie UFC officials, who raised $13,000 for Sydney Children’s Hospital at the recent Emerald Ball.

In a huge gesture, the UFC auctioned off its first two tickets for the upcoming UFC 293 event in the Harbour City, which proved one of the hottest items among the crowd of 900.