Home

UFC

“Becoming a Two-Division Champion”-Charles Oliveira Says He Will Change Weight Class

Published 01/09/2022, 7:15 AM EST

Follow Us

via Getty

The rags to riches story of Charles Oliveira is one of the most inspiring tales in the sport’s history. After suffering multiple disappointments midway into his career, ‘Do Bronx’ bounced back and got himself the lightweight strap following Khabib Nurmagomedov’s departure.

Despite attaining gold, he is not satisfied as he wants to feature among UFC legends such as Conor McGregor, Amanda Nunes, and Daniel Cormier.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

In a recent conversation with MMA Fighting’s Portuguese-language podcast Trocação Franca, Oliveira expressed his desire to venture into the featherweight or welterweight divisions. Although he is confident about the 145-pounds weight class, he further mentioned he would only make the move if he’s offered the title shots directly.

“I really thought I couldn’t drop to 145 anymore, but this last weight cut, I was really [close to] 155 before the fight with this work we’ve been doing, with lots of water in the body, and we believe we could easily make 145.” 

“If I had the opportunity to go straight for the 145 belt, I’d move down to fight. Also, if I had the opportunity to go straight for the 170 belt, I’d also move up to fight, but I believe it’s more viable to [drop down] to 145 instead of going to 170 at this moment”

“Becoming a two-division champion, a Brazilian man, would be awesome.” ‘Do Bronx’ continued. (h/t MMA Fighting)

Challenging Alexander Volkanovski and Kamaru Usman will not be easy for Charles Oliveira

Although Charles Oliveira is in a league of his own, ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ and ‘The Great‘ are no easygoing duelists. Notably, both of the elite MMA fighters have blazed their names in their respective divisions and are currently undefeated in the premier promotion.

via Getty

While Usman is on a 19-fight win streak, Volkanovski has secured 18 wins a row. Meanwhile, ‘Do Bronx’ is on a 10-fight win streak.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Trending

Get instantly notified of the hottest UFC stories via Google! Click on Follow Us and Tap the Blue Star.

Follow Us

Hence, they are all in form, but it will be tough for Oliveira as he has to move up or down a weight class. At featherweight, he would have to face ‘The Great’; a tough opponent who has remarkable wins over the likes of Brian Ortega and Max Holloway.

WATCH THIS STORY- Jon Jones Net Worth: Five Biggest Cash Grabs of Bones in and Out of the UFC

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Meanwhile, at welterweight, stopping Kamaru Usman will be an unenviable task; the likes of Colby Covington, Jorge Masvidal, Leon Edwards and Gilbert Burns have tried and failed.

What do you make of Charles Oliveira’s claims? Will he aim to be a champ-champ? Let us know in the comments below.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE :

Written by:

Aashish Kumar

454Articles

One take at a time

Aashish Kumar is a UFC writer at EssentiallySports. A graduate in Journalism & Mass Communication, this Israel Adesanya fan has interned at reputed media houses and gained valuable reporting experience. Building on that experience, Aashish will look to tap into his love for combat sports and let fans benefit from his passion and journalistic expertise.
Show More>