“Ednaldo Oliveira seems to have a knack for being in the right place at the right time. That ability is what helped him land a position as a security guard, then a spot in law school and, most recently, a spot Saturday against Gabriel Gonzaga on the preliminary card of UFC 142 at HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
“Oliveira, a rangy 6-foot-7 heavyweight known to his friends as “Lula Molusco” (Portuguese for “Squidward”), appreciates his good fortune. He met current UFC heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos when both were learning jiu-jitsu. They became friends and training partners and it was dos Santos who recommended the 13-0-1 Oliveira to UFC owner Lorenzo Fertitta.”