Charles Oliveira celebrates lightweight title run with Rocky-esque statement
![Charles Oliveira borrows a line from Rocky Balboa [Rocky photo credit: Variety.com]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2022/05/ec975-16524370409596-1920.jpg?w=500)
Charles Oliveira channeled his inner Rocky Balboa in a recent post celebrating his illustrious championship run.
On Instagram, Oliveira posted a recap of his last three fights against Michael Chandler, Dustin Poirier, and Justin Gaethje. The video highlighted how the Brazilian hero miraculously survived knockdowns and came back to put away his opponents. His post came with the caption:
"It's not how much we hit or catch, but when we want, that's the question to be asked. And thank God I showed how much I want." [Translated from Portuguese to English]
Check out Charles Oliveira's post below:
The quote is very similar to the line Sylvester Stallone's iconic character uttered in the film Rocky Balboa (2006). In one of the scenes, the protagonist tells his son, "It's not about how hard you hit, it's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward."
Watch the scene below:
Oliveira's journey to the UFC lightweight mountaintop is indeed comparable to Rocky's ascent in the movies. Like Rocky, 'Do Bronx' was once regarded as a journeyman who many believed wasn't a championship-caliber fighter.
The Brazilian proved his doubters wrong when he captured the vacant lightweight title by knocking out Chandler in the main event of UFC 262. He subsequently retained the belt against Poirier to cement his status as the top 155-pound fighter in the world.
His journey from debut to championship fight is the longest for any UFC champion in history. It took Oliveira 28 fights under the UFC banner to earn a title shot.
Charles Oliveira insists he's still the UFC lightweight champion
Unfortunately, Charles Oliveira was stripped of the belt when he missed the lightweight threshold ahead of his supposed title defense against Justin Gaethje last Saturday. On his third attempt to weigh in, Oliveira tipped the scale at 155.5 pounds, half a pound over his division's limit for title fights.
The best LW in the world 🌎
[ @CharlesDoBronxs| #UFC274 ] https://t.co/dwEB7NaZ0E
The fight went on as scheduled, but the belt was only on the line for Gaethje. Nonetheless, 'Do Bronx' took care of business come fight night when he submitted Gaethje in the first round to earn the right to fight for the vacant title.
During the post-fight interview with Joe Rogan, Oliveira proclaimed that he is still the top lightweight in the UFC, even if he's no longer the champion on paper. He said:
"Hey, there's something missing here. The champion has a name and it’s Charles 'Do Bronx' Oliveira."
Catch Charles Oliveira's interview below: