Did Charles Oliveira tear his esophagus?
Charles Oliveira suffered a life-threatening injury when he fought Max Holloway back in August 2015.
Oliveira used to compete in the featherweight division of the UFC at that point in time. During the first round of the contest, 'Do Bronx' attempted a takedown on Holloway. However, he fell on the cage holding his neck. The fight was stopped and 'Blessed' was declared the winner. The Brazilian was rushed to the hospital and diagnosed with a serious esophagus injury.
Here's what he stated later on the issue:
"I injured my neck in training, but did physical therapy and thought everything was fine, but when I fell against the cage everything went numb, I couldn’t feel my body." (h/t mmafighting.com)
Watch the best moments of Holloway vs. Oliveira:
It was revealed that 'Do Bronx' suffered a micro-tear in his esophagus. Nevertheless, the fighter fought through the issue and eventually made an octagon return later that year. He earned a submission win against Myles Jury in December 2015.
Oliveira has since achieved great things in the UFC. The Brazilian currently holds the record for the most submission wins in the promotion's history. The 32-year-old also became the UFC lightweight champion with his win against Michael Chandler at UFC 262. 'Do Bronx' defended his title against Dustin Poirier at UFC 269, registering yet another submission victory.
Watch Charles Oliveira vs. Dustin Poirier:
Charles Oliveira is set to face Justin Gaethje at UFC 274
Oliveira is set to make his second title defense at UFC 274 at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona. He takes on Justin Gaethje in the main event of the pay-per-view card.
#UFC274 is going to be 🔥🔥🔥 https://t.co/PY2A0EDSv2
The champion is the bookmakers' favorite to emerge victorious heading into the contest. As for 'The Highlight', this will be his second shot at the undisputed UFC championship. The former interim champion lost by submission to Khabib Nurmagomedov in his first title fight at UFC 254.
Rose Namajunas will defend her strawweight title in the co-main event slot on the card as she takes on former champion Carla Esparza in a rematch. Furthermore, a much-anticipated lightweight clash between top contenders Michael Chandler and Tony Ferguson is also part of the UFC 274 card.