“I’m getting there. I’m becoming one of the best of all-time. I don’t think [I am] yet.”
With the most finishes, bonuses, and submissions in UFC history, it’s easy to understand why Charles Oliveira feels like he’s the UFC’s ‘chosen one’
‘Do Bronx’ isn’t ready to declare himself the UFC G.L.O.A.T (greatest lightweight of all time) just yet, but the Brazilian feels he is destined for G.O.A.T. status and will be remembered as one of the best fighters ever to grace the Octagon.
“Most bonuses. Most submissions. Most finishes. What else?” Oliveira said during a recent episode of MMA Fighting’s Trocação Franca podcast. “I’m breaking records. There are no arguments against facts. I’m the chosen one. That’s the reality.”
“I’m getting there,” he added. “I’m becoming one of the best of all-time. I don’t think [I am] yet. One step at a time. I’m up there. We have to keep our feet on the ground, be humble. Let people think that. What do you think, am I the greatest of all-time? That’s the question.”
“My age, 32, with records of most submissions and bonuses and so many other things I have to start writing down so I don’t forget. Lightweight champion, 11 wins in a row. Of those 11 wins, only one decision. We’re happy.”
Oliveira most recently fought at UFC 274 where he defeated Justin Gaethje via first-round submission in a bout that saw the Chute Boxe fighter stripped of the lightweight championship after missing weight due to some confusion with the scales.
Belt or no belt, though, the champion’s name is still Charles Oliveira.
“I’ll still make more history,” he said. “No one took my belt from me. I made weight, I’ve always made weight. There were those big problems but no one will get this off my head. The champion’s name is Charles Oliveira, and I’ve showed that one more time.
“The reality is I made weight. There were this issue with the scale, but I showed who’s the champion. Half a pound wouldn’t make any difference in the fight, it didn’t make any difference. I went there and did what I had to do, won, and showed who’s the champion.”
Oliveira is currently #1 in the UFC lightweight rankings and #4 in the UFC men’s pound-for-pound rankings.