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Charles Oliveira is a special fighter. The Brazilian's combination of relentless pressure, all-offense Muay Thai and the most successful submission game in UFC history has rendered him the greatest finisher the promotion has ever seen. Charles Oliveira tries to defeat every foe in definitive fashion.
His approach has led him to significant success as he is currently at the helm of an 11-fight win streak. Despite being stripped of his UFC lightweight title due to a botched weight cut for his previous bout, 'Do Bronx' is still widely recognized by most fans as the unofficial lightweight champion after his win against Justin Gaethje.
The Brazilian's performance against 'The Highlight' led to comparisons with undefeated lightweight legend Khabib Nurmagomedov. The comparisons have only grown in intensity the closer Charles Oliveira's matchup against Islam Makhachev draws.
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While there are certainly parallels between Makhachev and Nurmagomedov, it is 'The Eagle' against whom fans want 'Do Bronx' to face. Despite that, the UFC's first-ever Dagestani champion has remained firm on his refusal to return from retirement.
With that in mind, only through his accomplishments can Oliveira surpass the Russian, and this list details five things that the Brazilian must do to become widely recognized as a greater fighter than Nurmagomedov was.
#5. Charles Oliveira must defeat Islam Makhachev
Emerging victorious against Islam Makhachev at UFC 280 is fundamental to the Brazilian being hailed as greater than Khabib Nurmagomedov for three reasons.
First, 'Do Bronx' is on an 11-fight win streak. As impressive as his unbeaten run has been, it has not yet reached the heights of 'The Eagle's' 13-fight winning run.
A loss to Islam Makhachev would end Charles Oliveira's win streak, forcing him to embark on a new lengthy run of form from scratch.
Secondly, Islam Makhachev is the fighter most similar to Khabib Nurmagomedov in terms of style. If Charles Oliveira defeats him, it will be the closest any fighter has ever come to defeating a Khabib-esque fighter.
Lastly, Makhachev represents the most immediate challenge to Oliveira's claim to the lightweight throne. In the minds of many fans, Makhachev is not only the Brazilian's toughest foe, but he is also the clear-cut second-best lightweight in the world.
To cement his supremacy in the 155-pound weight class, Oliveira will have to defeat Makhachev.
#4. Surpass Khabib Nurmagomedov's title defense record
Successfully defending a title is widely regarded as the hallmark of a true champion. An often-repeated line of thinking is that a titleholder who has not yet defended their title is not a real champion. A lack of title defenses is one of the largest sources of criticism that Conor McGregor faces in terms of legacy.
Khabib Nurmagomedov's title defense record of three is equalled by B.J. Penn, Frankie Edgar and Benson Henderson in the lightweight division. If Charles Oliveira intends to be recognized as greater than his Dagestani rival, he must become the first 155lber to surpass three consecutive title defenses.
While a win over Islam Makhachev would have been his third title defense, a failed weight cut prior to the Brazilian's matchup against Justin Gaethje forced the UFC to strip him of his title. So not only did Charles Oliveira's win over Justin Gaethje not count as a title defense, a possible win over Islam Makhachev wouldn't either.
Instead, his upcoming bout at UFC 280 will be for either fighter to capture championship gold at lightweight. Thus, Charles Oliveira must defend his title four times to stand above Khabib Nurmagomedov.
#3. Surpass Khabib Nurmagomedov's win streak
Part of the lore behind 'The Eagle's' greatness is his undefeated record. His unbeaten run in the UFC is unlike anything anyone has ever seen. Khabib Nurmagomedov's spotless stretch of wins led to a 13-fight win streak. It remains the longest win streak in UFC lightweight history.
To surpass Khabib Nurmagomedov, Charles Oliveira must extend his own win streak past 13 consecutive victories. The Brazilian is currently spearheading an 11-fight win streak. Three more wins would extend his win streak to 14, which would be instrumental in claiming superiority over Nurmagomedov.
Oliveira will never be undefeated, but he can exceed his Dagestani rival's win streak to take one of his records away from him.
#2. Clean out the division
At no point has any former lightweight champion cleaned out the division. The greatest detractors of Khabib Nurmagomedov's legacy often cite how the undefeated Russian didn't consistently face high-level opponents for a long stretch of time.
Many point out that 'The Eagle' never faced a strong grappler or wrestler either. Rafael dos Anjos comes close, but 'RDA' is more of a generalist than a high-level Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist despite being a fourth-degree black belt. If Charles Oliveira continues winning, he'll carve out a stronger legacy.
Furthermore, if 'Do Bronx' successfully defeats enough foes that no new opponents are on the horizon and all the UFC can book are rematches or fights at welterweight, he will have cemented himself as greater than Nurmagomedov by clearing out the division.
#1. Capture welterweight gold
Despite being a large and powerful lightweight, Khabib Nurmagomedov never dared move up to the welterweight division in the UFC. This decision led some to accuse the undefeated Dagestani legend of not only avoiding tougher challenges in the 170-pound weight class, but of being a size bully against smaller foes.
Colby Covington infamously accused Khabib Nurmagomedov of engaging in such practices by pointing out that 'The Eagle' is even larger than him yet refuses to fight at welterweight. If Charles Oliveira manages to capture UFC welterweight gold, his legacy will rest firmly above Khabib Nurmagomedov's.
If 'Do Bronx' could somehow negotiate a title fight with Leon Edwards while Kamaru Usman recovers from the first knockout loss of his career, the Brazilian could be in a prime position to claim the welterweight title.
Edwards always turns over onto his hands and feet to stand back up. Doing so exposes his back to an easy rear-naked choke: a death sentence against a submission specialist of Charles Oliveira's caliber.
The only reason this has not been punished at welterweight is due to the lack of competent Brazilian jiu-jitsu in the division, barring a few exceptions like Gilbert Burns.
