Athletes
UFC 300
Charles Oliveira: Bringing The Dad Strength
Former Lightweight Champion Charles Oliveira Plans To Continue His Run Back To The Title By Defeating Arman Tsarukyan At UFC 300
Just prior to his departure from Brazil to Las Vegas for UFC 300, Charles Oliveira announced to the world he would be having a son. The new arrival leaves the former lightweight champion more motivated than ever.
“I already have a daughter and my son is coming; this motivates me so much,” Oliveira told UFC.com. “Everyone knows that some years ago, when my daughter was born, I had a winning streak, so now that my son Dominic is on the way, I believe the same can happen.”
How To Watch The Historic UFC 300 Event In Your Country
“I already have a daughter and my son is coming; this motivates me so much,” Oliveira said. “Everyone knows that some years ago, when my daughter was born, I had a winning streak, so now that my son Dominic is on the way, I believe the same can happen.”
Not just any streak, but an 11-fight win streak that began in 2018 and included wins over Clay Guida, Jim Miller, Tony Ferguson, his lightweight title win over Michael Chandler and a title defense against Dustin Poirier.
Oliveira’s sole focus has been reclaiming his belt after he lost to Islam Makhachev at UFC 280 in October 2022. He got things back on track against Beneil Dariush last June and was slated to face Makhachev once again in Abu Dhabi last October, but a nasty cut above his eyebrow two weeks before the fight forced him to withdraw from the fight.
Now, he prepares to No. 4 ranked lightweight Arman Tsarukyan, in a fight that UFC CEO Dana White labeled as a No. 1 contender fight. But as far as Oliveira is concerned, he is the only one who should be fighting the champ next.
Preview Every Fight On The Historic UFC 300 Card
“I am number one in the rankings, and you have to get through me to fight for a belt and to be a champion,” Oliveira said. “I don't know what has been told to him but that's me. I'm next in line for this. I'm first in line and I should be the one that gets a chance to actually fight for a belt and go back to being a champion again.”
When you look at Oliveira’s resume next to Tsarukyan’s resume, there are a variety of differences. A big thing being the amount of time the two have spent in the Octagon. “Do Bronxs” made his UFC debut back in 2010, while Tsarukyan made his professional MMA debut in 2015, and his Octagon debut in 2019 against Makhachev.
Oliveira is the holder of the most finishes, submission wins and bonuses in UFC history and is confident about the experience he brings into the matchup.
“Experience counts a lot,” Oliveira said. “I came in as a boy amongst lions and I became a lion myself, a very tricky one. The experience is there, but I'm always going to also have that Chute Boxe spirit, always pressing forward, always looking for the win. That's what matters.”
Since his loss to the champ in 2019, Tsarukyan has made it very clear that he wants to get that rematch. When we spoke to him in Miami prior to UFC 299, Tsarukyan said “To be honest, I think about Charles, but sometimes I think, ‘OK I’m going to win and finally I’m going to fight with Islam Makhachev’.”
UFC 300: Embedded | Countdown | Breakdown | Connected
The 34-year-old Brazilian isn’t worried about what Tsarukyan may be saying about future matchups and potentially looking past the former champion, because Oliveira knows that he is focused on the task at hand and more motivated than he has ever been.
“It doesn't matter what he's bringing into the fight,” Oliveira said. “It matters how I am motivated. It matters how I'm happy. It matters that I got the firepower and that I can knock him out. I can finish him. It doesn't matter. I'm happy. I'm motivated; that’s the only thing that matters in this fight.”
It feels only right that someone like Oliveira, who is such a fan favorite within the sport, would be placed on such a historic card. And the feeling is mutual for the Chute Boxe product.
Watch Charles Oliveira vs Beneil Dariush
Unlock MORE of your inner combat sports fan with UFC Fight Pass! Fighting is what we live for. And no one brings you MORE live fights, new shows, and events across multiple combat sports from around the world. With a never-ending supply of fighting in every discipline, there’s always something new to watch. Leave it to the world’s authority in MMA to bring you the Ultimate 24/7 platform for MORE combat sports, UFC Fight Pass!
Watch Charles Oliveira vs Beneil Dariush
/
“I’ve been here for 14 years. It’s been a long journey and to be a part of this, such a historic card, with great champions, and former champions being part of history, it's about that legacy,” Oliveira said. “It's amazing.”
Twenty-one submissions and 10 knockouts under his belt, Oliveira isn’t concerned with how he will secure the victory over Tsarukyan on Saturday night inside T-Mobile Arena, he only cares about leaving with his hand raised, no matter the method. At the end of the day, he said ‘you win, and you step forward. You lose and you step back.’
MORE UFC 300: A Thing Of Beauty | Forever Young | Jim F'ing Miller | Welcome Kayla Harrison | Top Highlights | Scary Pereira | King Hill | The Many Champs Of UFC 300
Oliveira is locked in on reclaiming UFC gold, and with a full tank of dad motivation behind him, Saturday may be the start of another historic run for “Do Bronxs”.
“Without a shadow of a doubt that's my focus. I want to be a champion again."
UFC 300: Pereira vs Hill took place live from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on April 13, 2024. See the final Prelim and Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC Fight Pass!
Tags
