"My dad called me desperate, crying like a child" - Charles Oliveira details how his father reacted to him being stripped of UFC lightweight title
When Charles Oliveira missed weight for the lightweight title bout between himself and Justin Gaethje at UFC 274, he became the first champion to ever lose their belt to the scale. Of all the records that Oliveira holds, this is one he won't be proud of and that truth must have been terribly cruel to accept.
During episode 418 of the Podpah podcast, Oliveira explained the impact his missed weight had on his family and, in particular, his father. 'Do Bronx' described his father as being in a state of panic, shedding tears at the damage missing weight could have on Oliveira's legacy.
The Brazilian said the following:
"Man, my dad called me desperate, crying like a child. And I was like, 'Calm down, don't worry, we'll fix this,' and such. But my dad was just crying."
Charles Oliveira used the disappointment of missing championship weight as fuel and motivation to walk into the fire and chaos that is Justin Gaethje. 'Do Bronx' was fighting for something greater than himself when he came up against Gaethje, and it showed in his dominating performance.
Watch the video below from 5:40:
You can watch the full interview, without subtitles, below:
Charles Oliveira warns Islam Makhachev over becoming too arrogant
The next UFC lightweight champion will be decided when Charles Oliveira and Islam Makhachev fight each other at UFC 280 in Abu Dhabi. The bout is highly anticipated, with Oliveira and Makhachev carrying an 11 and 10 fight win streak, respectively.
Oliveira feels that Makhachev and the rest of his fraternity may be becoming a little too confident, which could result in the downfall of the Dagestani fighter.
'Do Bronx' spoke to Brazilian MMA media outlet MMA Hoje, and said the following:
"They're being arrogant, and that's what will kill them. The arrogance from their manager, from former fighters... will kill them. No one will ever hit me harder than life already hit me."
Although Charles Oliveira is not going into his fight against Makhachev as the official champion, his mindset will be that he is defending his belt. It is a narrative that is shared throughout the MMA community and one that could serve Oliveira well.
'Do Bronx' is fighting in enemy territory — Abu Dhabi — where Makhachev is adored. Just as he did against Gaethje, Oliveira will be hoping to silence the crowd and lay claim to the lightweight crown.
Watch the video from 1:00: