Sometimes, it takes more than just a good fighter to win the hearts of fans. There are plenty of fighters in the UFC who are extremely skilled and have won a lot of important fights. However, there are certain fighters who don’t just win matches, but hearts as well. One such UFC fighter who is loved by everyone is the lightweight star Charles Oliveira.

The former champion started off in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He won a number of notable competitions before transitioning to MMA. ‘Do Bronxs’ started with a different promotion, won all three fights there, and then came to the UFC to make a name for himself. As of now, Charles Oliveira is #1 on the UFC lightweight rankings.

A string of losses against Donald Cerrone, Max Holloway, Frankie Edgar, etc

Oliveira, a humble and good-natured boy from the favelas of Sao Paulo, Brazil, didn’t always have plans of competing in the UFC. In fact, he started by training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and that too at the young age of 12. Oliveira then went on to become one of the best BJJ specialists and soon started winning championships. In 2010, Sherdog nominated Charles Oliveira as the third-best Brazilian prospect to watch out for.

Following this, Oliveira was signed to the UFC in 2010. But before this, Oliveira had experience in fighting in an MMA promotion since he made his professional MMA debut back in 2008, in the Predator Fight Championship promotion.

Trending

How Did Francis Ngannou’s Son Die? All We Know So Far About 15-Month-Old Kobe’s Death

April 30, 2024 12:32 PM EDT

MMA News Roundup: Conor McGregor Calls for “Lifetime Ban” on Ryan Garcia, Alex Pereira Says Jiri Prochazka Next, Jon Jones Confirms Interest in ‘Poatan’ & Tom Aspinall

May 03, 2024 11:15 AM EDT

“Literally Some Random Loser”- Jon Jones Finally Breaks Silence on Latest Controversy, Faced With Serious Allegations

May 02, 2024 07:40 PM EDT

Devin Haney Gives Conor McGregor a Fitting Response After “Lifetime Ban” Demands for Ryan Garcia Post Failed PED Test

May 03, 2024 11:50 AM EDT

Canelo Alvarez Rings the Alarm Bells for Nate Diaz as Boxer Drops In at Jorge Masvidal’s Camp One Month Before Fight

May 03, 2024 07:40 AM EDT

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

Follow Us

In his UFC debut, he fought Darren Elkins, whom he defeated using an armbar. Gifted as he was, Oliveira went on to do great things in the UFC. However, there was a time when Oliveira did have trouble establishing himself as the great fighter that he is today.

Oliveira’s first loss in the UFC was handed to him by Jim Miller, back in 2010. Then, he also suffered a loss at the hands of Donald Cerrone in 2011. After these two losses, he went on to win his next two fights, only to be deterred by a string of two more losses to Frankie Edgar and Cub Swanson. He won a couple of fights after that, but he simply couldn’t find his footing. He lost his featherweight bout against Max Holloway (due to neck/shoulder injury).

He couldn’t find stability as he kept winning fights and then losing some. He also lost a really important lightweight bout against Paul Felder. The light that Oliveira brought with him, was starting to look bleak. But then, the Brazilian decided to do something about it.

Charles Oliveira 2.0 – Winning Streak Against Tony Ferguson, Dustin Poirier, Michael Chandler, etc.

Charles Oliveira’s loss to Paul Felder was like an eye-opener for him. Nobody knows what happened that night, but everything changed for Oliveira after that. The Brazilian lightweight fighter came back, stronger than ever. From 2018 onwards, Oliveira was a different man. The fans were witnessing Charles Oliveira 2.0 – a better and smarter fighter who was not ready to lose. He started a 12-fight win streak against some of the best fighters in the division, with an emphatic win over Clay Guida.

His first loss in the UFC was against Jim Miller and by some divine intervention, Oliveira got the opportunity to do right by that. He got another fight against Jim Miller and this time, he made sure that he won in a decisive manner. He ended the fight with a rear-naked choke and paid Miller back for the last time. However, his most important feat was yet to come.

Not Even Khabib’s Record Can Stop Charles Oliveira From Clinching LW GOAT Status Against Islam Makhachev at UFC 294, Claims Ex-Champ

In 2020, Charles Oliveira proved to the world that he is definitely the #1 fighter in the UFC lightweight division. He put on back-to-back dominant outings against some of the biggest names in the division and eventually earned himself a title-shot opportunity. He defeated Tony Ferguson to close out the year on a high and earned a shot at the vacant title against Michael Chandler at UFC 262 in May 2021. After beating Chandler for the belt, later that year at UFC 269, he successfully defended it against Dustin Poirier.

However, he lost his title on the scales after missing weight for his UFC 274 bout against Justin Gaethje in May 2022. Although he finished Gaethje in the first round, Charles Oliveira walked out of the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona as the #1 contender and not as the champion. His last UFC fight was against Beneil Dariush which was held on 10 June, 2023 at UFC 289. Oliveira won that fight decisively to earn a second title shot. The only loss he faced during the 12-1 run, was against the lightweight champ Islam Makhachev.

UFC 280 loss against Islam Makhachev, what happened?

When Charles Oliveira decisively beat Gaethje despite being stripped of the title, UFC CEO Dana White had to give him another title shot opportunity. On 22 October 2022, Oliveria fought Islam Makhachev for the lightweight belt. The fight was one for the history books as both fighters put their double-digit win streaks on the line. Makhachev won the fight by forcing Oliveira to submit by putting him in an arm triangle choke in the second round.

Now, one year later, Charles Oliveira, once again, finds himself in the challenger position. On 21 October 2023, Charles Olveira will get his rematch against Islam Makhachev as the two clash once again at UFC 294, which is scheduled to be held in Abu Dhabi.

Will Oliveira be able to end things differently this time? Or will Makhachev prove to the world that he is truly the better fighter of the two? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

Watch This Story – Joe Rogan reveals how he selects his guests