"I'll exchange blows with the guy" - Charles Oliveira lays out gameplan for Justin Gaethje title fight
Charles Oliveira is ready to trade blows with Justin Gaethje in their championship fight at UFC 274.
In the lead-up to the event, the Brazilian sat down for an exclusive interview with Laerte Viana for Super Lutas. During the conversation, 'Do Bronx' talked about his gameplan for the fight.
Oliveira said that he is a complete fighter and is not focusing on a single aspect of the fight. The 32-year-old stated that he is willing to exchange strikes with Gaethje and if the opportunity presents itself, he will also attempt to take the fight to the ground:
"I'm going as Charles, MMA fighter. People who think, 'Aah, Charles is going to be desperate to take it to the ground.' Forget it. In all the times I've fought, I've never despaired of taking someone to the ground. I'm an MMA fighter. I'm a complete fighter. The fight will start standing. I'll exchange blows with the guy. When there is an opportunity to take it to the ground, I will try to take it to the ground. When there's an opportunity to stand on the grid and wrestle, I'll wrestle with him. I train wrestling too. I'm not a fool. I'm not." [Subtitled by Brazilian MMA Legends' YouTube channel]
Watch a clip of the interview below:
Oliveira will defend his lightweight throne for the second time at UFC 274. 'Do Bronx' already defended his title successfully against Dustin Poirier at UFC 269.
Michael Bisping hails Charles Oliveira as one of the most exciting fighters in the UFC
Former UFC champion Michael Bisping has many good things to say about Charles Oliveira.
'The Count' highlighted all the statistics and records the Brazilian has to his name in the UFC. Considering all that, he feels it is reasonable to call Oliveira one of the most exciting and best fighters to ever grace the octagon.
In a video uploaded to his YouTube channel last week, Bisping had this to say:
"The numbers don't lie and when you look at the numbers, the man has had 20 wins in the UFC. Eighteen of them have come by way of stoppage. That is a 90% finish rate, which is absolutely phenomenal. Need more? The man has the most post-fight bonuses in the history of the company as well, coming in at 18. Twelve Performance of the Night bonuses, three Submissions of the Night and three Fights of the Night. The stats don't lie. He's one of the most exciting ever and one of the best ever."
Watch Michael Bisping shower praise on Charles Oliveira below:
'Do Bronx' currently holds the record for the most finishes (18) and the most submission wins (15) in the UFC. He is also tied with Donald Cerrone for the most post-fight bonuses (18) in the promotion.