Charles Oliveira reflects on his incredible journey from humble beginnings to UFC champion through video clip
Charles Oliveira shared his inspiring transformation from journeyman to UFC world champion in a video he posted on YouTube.
Oliveira, of course, is the champion with the longest path to the title in UFC history. Making his debut in 2010, it took the Brazilian 28 fights in a span of nearly 11 years to become the promotion's top lightweight fighter.
The aforementioned video recapped all of Oliveira's wins and losses – from his first fight against Darren Elkins to his championship-winning technical knockout (TKO) of Michael Chandler, and his first successful title defense against Dustin Poirier. The post came with the caption:
"That's it! Never give up" [Translated from Portugese to English]
Watch Charles Oliveira's video below:
É isso! Nunca desista
@UFCBrasil #UFC274 https://t.co/DUqAoxC2eZ
'Do Bronx' will look to add another highlight to his stellar résumé when he defends his crown against top-ranked UFC lightweight Justin Gaethje. The pair of star lightweights will headline this Saturday's UFC 274 pay-per-view, which is set to take place at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona.
Justin Gaethje vows to push Charles Oliveira to the limit
Justin Gaethje has always been vocal about his criticism of reigning lightweight champion Charles Oliveira. 'The Highlight' once called the Brazilian a "quitter" and vowed to expose his deficiencies.
However, Gaethje is now singing a different tune after Oliveira's spectacular performance against Dustin Poirier. In what appears to be an acknowledgment of the champion's abilities, the challenger told ESPN MMA:
"I’m going to be perfect, and I’ll be perfect for 25 minutes. If he can beat me, then kudos to him. But he’s going to have to walk through hell like Khabib [Nurmagomedov] did. He’s not as powerful, he doesn’t have the structure, he doesn’t have the frame, and he doesn’t have explosive takedowns."
Gaethje also took back some of the comments he made about Oliveira. The Arizona native said his opponent is a changed man, but maintained that the only way Oliveira can beat him is if he makes a mistake.
"He’s not the same man [now] that I was referencing. But again, deep down, once it happened once, it’ll happen again, and I’m the perfect guy to show it to him. I will show it to him. I’ve got to stay out of grappling positions, obviously, but I’m going to put a hole right in his face and it’s going to be glorious."
Check out Justin Gaethje's interview below: