Charles Oliveira captured the lightweight strap by smashing Michael Chandler at the UFC 262 pay-per-view (PPV) event last month in Houston and is expected to make his first title defense against the winner of the UFC 264 headliner on July 10 in Las Vegas.
Which means Conor McGregor or Dustin Poirier are getting knocked the (expletive) out.
“Everyone knows that a fight with Conor has a lot of money and one with Dustin not so much, but they are two great opponents,” Oliveira told Ag Fight. “I don’t choose my fights. I will be ready. I really believe in my jiu-jitsu against either of them, but something tells me that if I fought them, I would knock them both out.”
Oliveira, who turns 32 in October, has won nine straight bouts to push his record to 31-8 with one No Contest. During that streak, “Do Bronx” secured three victories by knockout, along with another five by submission.
Just don’t call him a jiu-jitsu fighter.
“A few years ago, Charles was the jiu-jitsu guy, who walked forward, took a beating and was a little afraid,” Oliveira continued. “Today, I’m not afraid to fight these guys. The funny thing is that when I start fighting, they try to put me down, to do what I know best. This shows how much I’m evolving on my feet. Charles, today, is not a jiu-jitsu fighter. He’s a complete fighter, both standing and on the ground, but I think everyone will be knocked out.”
Expect to find out later this year.