"Charles Oliveira does not have some Chris Leben-esque chin" - Chael Sonnen details whether Justin Gaethje would be in trouble if he fails to outstrike 'Do Bronx'
Chael Sonnen believes Charles Oliveira will be in trouble if he gets touched up by Justin Gaethje in a potential lightweight title clash down the line. According to 'The American Gangster', Oliveira is prone to getting hit and doesn't have an iron chin. If he gets tagged by a powerful puncher like Gaethje, he could be in deep trouble.
If Gaethje brings the fight to 'Do Bronx' on the feet, Sonnen believes there's no reason why people shouldn't put their money on 'The Highlight' to get the job done in a potential clash. In a video uploaded to his YouTube channel, Sonnen said:
"Numbers don't lie and Charles Oliveira gets hit a lot. He gets hit a lot more than most other champions. Charles Oliveira doesn't have some Chris Leben-esque chin that he's known for. He reacts like a normal human being which is he falls down and he's hurt. None of that's a knock on Charles. It's something that we have to be aware of because Justin Gaethje is damn good at touching people."
He added:
"Charles gets touched and Gaethje does the touching. Charles reacts like a normal human to a shot and Justin Gaethje delivers a superhuman shot. If you are a Justin Gaethje believer, you've got your data to go ahead and bet on him and feel pretty confident."
Watch Chael Sonnen break down Charles Oliveira vs. Justin Gaethje below:
Even if he fails to outstrike Oliveira, Sonnen believes Gaethje has the required grappling skillset to hang with the champion on the ground. Sonnen pointed out that Gaethje has an NCAA division 1 wrestling background and outwitted Michael Chandler when 'Iron' tried to force the fight to the ground on multiple occasions.
Charles Oliveira is no stranger to adversity
While it's true that Charles Oliveira gets hit quite often in fights, he has shown tremendous heart to overcome adversity in his last few octagon outings.
In his two fights against Michael Chandler and Dustin Poirier, 'Do Bronx' was dropped by both men in the first round. Nevertheless, Oliveira showcased great resilience to recover and find the finish later on in both fights.
Nearly finished round 1️⃣, champion 19 seconds round 2️⃣ 👑
@CharlesDoBronxs is your first nominee for Comeback of the Year 🏆
[ 🏆 #UFCHonors | Presented By @ToyoTires ] https://t.co/t0KNzLsWzM
The Brazilian can turn the fight on its head at any given point, and Gaethje is well aware that he cannot afford to make any mistakes.