Lightweight champion Charles Oliveira plans to beat every contender in his division, starting with Dustin Poirier.
The UFC lightweight champion has big plans for his reign.
While he has yet to make his first title defense, Charles Oliveira believes nobody is taking his belt for a long time. Paired up against Dustin Poirier at UFC 269, the Brazilian guarantees this will be just the first of a lengthy list of successful defenses.
In an interview with Combate, Oliveira explained his intention to erase all doubts fans might still have about his skills. In order to accomplish this goal, ‘Do Bronx’ promises he will clear out the lightweight division of title challengers.
“I said something in my last fight and I’ll say it again. I’m going to shock the world on December 11. I’ll beat him in the first round. I respect him a lot, just like I respect everyone in the division. Nowadays, though, I have something more than them. I will shock the world again and then I’ll say what I’ve been planning to say all my life. Line them up and let every contender come. One at a time, I’ll beat them all.”
“I will clear out the division. I want people to not believe in me every time.” Oliveira continued. “Because every time I beat them like I did in my last fight, they’ll give me a standing ovation. Then the whole world says that Charles is a monster. Charles is not a monster, he’s just different. That’s the truth.”
Although Charles guarantees he will make quick work of the ‘Diamond’, he prefers not to do it in his usual fashion: the submission. The way Oliveira puts it, winning is what matters the most, but if he can, he would like to surprise Dustin on the feet and get another knockout win on his record.
“I want to win, no matter how. I really believe in a knockout. He’s good with his hands and I like to surprise people. I’ve been breaking guys, but nobody says a word. People say that some guy is a monster, that he is a knockout artist. That guys hit him and he doesn’t break. I hit them with my left and they go down. I don’t know why that happens. It’s like I said before, it’s something different.”
In his last outing, Oliveira (31-8-1 NC) became the champion when he knocked out Michael Chandler, back in May. The win extended his current streak to nine straight, including victories over notables such as Tony Ferguson, Kevin Lee, Jim Miller and Clay Guida. The 31-year-old’s last loss happened in December 2017, when he got knocked out by Paul Felder.
Now, Oliveira is expected to meet Poirier for the lightweight championship at UFC 269’s main event, on December 11. The card is scheduled to take place in Las Vegas, Nevada, at the T-Mobile Arena.