Tag: Charles Oliveira

Charles Oliveira says he’ll prove who the “real” lightweight king is this weekend to those who continue to brand his upcoming opponent Dustin Poirier as the ‘uncrowned champion’.

Despite an incredible journey to the top, Oliveira is seemingly being undervalued and delegitimized as champion by many, including top contender Justin Gaethje. The Brazilian believes they’ll regret underrating him come December 11 when he makes his first title defense.

“Do Bronx” had UFC gold wrapped around his waist for the first time at UFC 262 in May. After Khabib Nurmagomedov’s retirement, Oliveira challenged for the vacant belt against former three-time Bellator titleholder Michael Chandler. Having looked close to being finished in the opening round, Oliveira overcame adversity to secure a second-round finish inside Houston’s Toyota Center.

The heart-warming championship crowning came in Oliveira’s 28th Octagon outing. Not many fighters have personified the idea that hard work pays off quite like the Sao Paulo native. He’ll look to continue his story by fending off the challenge of Poirier in this weekend’s main event.

Oliveira: “The Belt Has An Owner”

Leaving Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena with the title will certainly be no easy task for Oliveira. Poirier is widely regarded as the best lightweight in the world, and will enter the blockbuster year-ending pay-per-view off the back of two victories over former two-division UFC champion Conor McGregor.

With that in mind, many in the combat sports community perceive “The Diamond” to be a heavy favorite for this Saturday’s headliner. Given his decision to pass up on a shot to challenge for the vacant title in favor of a money trilogy fight with McGregor, the narrative that Poirier is the uncrowned lightweight titleholder has been thrown around a lot.

But for Oliveira, that couldn’t be further from the truth. During a recent interview with TSN’s Aaron Bronsteter, “Do Bronx” promised to show he belongs on the 155-pound throne at UFC 269.

“People love Dustin. Like you said, he’s seen as the uncrowned champion. But I’ll show on Saturday who the real champion is; that the belt has an owner, and his name is Charles Oliveira. I’m happy with this fight, I’m ready, and I’ll show that on Saturday.” (Via a translator)

Having been treated to a barnburner between former title challenger Justin Gaethje and Michael Chandler at UFC 268 last month, this weekend’s event will mark another pay-per-view featuring a crucial clash in the lightweight division. It stands to reason the victor will be defending the gold against “The Highlight” in the second quarter of 2022.

Who do you think will have their hand raised at UFC 269, Charles Oliveira or Dustin Poirier?

Continue Reading Oliveira Ready To Show Who “The Real Champ” Is At UFC 269 at MMA News.

Charles Oliveira looks forward to proving his doubters wrong. 

The UFC’s final Pay-per-view of 2021 looks to end the year with a bang. The card features some rising prospects, a welterweight banger, and a women’s bantamweight title fight. In the main event of the evening, Charles Oliveira will try to keep the gold around his waist when he meets #1-ranked, Dustin Poirier. 

Poirier has been sitting near the top of the division for the last three years. He holds wins over Justin Gaethje, Max Holloway, Conor McGregor, and Eddie Alvarez in that time. So, for many, it makes sense that with Khabib Nurmagomedov out of the picture, Poirier has a good chance of obtaining the lightweight title. In the meantime, many people also believe that Oliveira has not been receiving his full respect as the undisputed champion.

Oddsmakers have the Louisianian as a slight favorite heading into the title fight. Oliveira, though, sees UFC 269 going differently. The submission ace detailed his prediction for the bout in a recent interview with MMA Fighting. 

“On [December] 11, we’ll be there to prove who’s best and who’s not the best,” Oliveira said. “There’s not much to say. We’ll only know when we face each other. I trust myself, I believe myself. I think I have way more weapons than him. All you guys that think [he’s No. 1], watch his last fight and watch my last fight, see what I’m good at and what he’s good at, and match it all up to see what happens.

“Strikers took him down way too easily, and you know what happens if I take him down. If he trades on the feet with me, you know I’m hitting hard, brother. It will be fire on the 11th. I have firepower in my hands, I have my jiu-jitsu. I respect him a lot, but I want to remain champion, I want to keep this belt here. I couldn’t care less what others say or criticize. It’s about time I take all that inside my head and look at what people say on Instagram.”

While Poirier is a slight favorite at the time of writing, the money could turn the odds as bets come in the next couple of weeks. Oliveira has had issues with durability and weight cuts in the past but has found his stride the last half of his UFC career. The champion is currently on a nine fight win streak, with eight of those victories coming by submission or knockout. 

His last outing saw “Do Bronx” capture UFC gold when he rallied from the brink to knock Michael Chandler unconscious at UFC 262.

Who do you think will win next Saturday between Dustin Poirier and Charles Oliveira?

Continue Reading Oliveira: On Dec. 11, We’ll Be There To Prove Who Is The Best at MMA News.