"I can die but we keep doing it" - Charles Oliveira shares goosebumps-inducing story of how his parents supported him in his UFC journey
Charles Oliveira sat down to talk about his journey in mixed martial arts and how integral the support from his parents has been in his dream to become a fighter.
'Do Bronx' is one of the real MMA success stories. After multiple losses, weight misses, and setbacks, the Brazilian managed to overcome the odds to earn himself a UFC title, but none of that would have happened without his mother's and father's backing.
In a recent appearance on the Ironberg podcast, Oliveira shared the inspiring and emotional story of his father's encouraging words towards him. 'Do Bronx' brought up how difficult his upbringing was in Brazil. However, his parents always believed he was going to make it (Quotes translated into English by Brazilian MMA Legends):
"My mother and my father always believed, but my mother was a little afraid. And my father was the guy who said, 'we're going to die but we're going to keep doing it'... He used to say, we're going to be champions, it's going to happen."
The 32-year-old continued, saying:
"When I signed with the UFC, I still remember today... The day I signed at my home. My father was sitting with his eyes full of tears, I remember to this day and I get emotional. So my dad said 'You're signing the contract for your biggest dream, our biggest dream. It's easy to get there... It was [easy]. The hardest thing is to stay.'"
Oliveira then recalled the time he remembered his father's speech the most:
"When Dana White put the belt around my waist, the first thing I remembered was my father [saying] 'It's easy to get there, the hardest thing is to stay.'"
Make sure to check out the enlightening Ironberg podcast episode with Oliveira below:
You can also watch a subtitled version of the enlightening clip of Oliveira's time growing up below:
Charles Oliveira's UFC lightweight title reign
After finishing Michael Chandler to earn his first ever major MMA championship, Charles Oliveira submitted Dustin Poirier and successfully defended his lightweight title.
However, his next challenger poses a different threat. The ever-dangerous Justin Gaethje promises to bring the fight to the champion. Despite his elite-level ability, Oliveira is prone to getting hit by his rivals.
If Oliveira manages to bypass the heavy-hitting Gaethje, he will most likely be presented with the relentless Islam Makhachev. The Russian is riding a 10-fight win streak and hopes to continue the legacy of his good friend Khabib Nurmagomedov.