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In Charles Oliveira, we saw yet another talented Brazilian MMA fighter etch his name into UFC championship history at UFC 262 last month. After surviving a dramatic first round onslaught from Michael Chandler, Oliveira came out swinging in the second round. ‘Do Bronx’ then finished the fight within 19 seconds, becoming the first UFC lightweight champion since Khabib Nurmagomedov vacated the title.
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Oliveira is now on an incredible nine-fight winning streak inside the octagon, he also currently holds the UFC record for most finishes - ‘Do Bronx’ has now stopped 17 opponents inside the distance. This begs the question: what is next for the fighting pride of Sao Paulo?
As the maxim goes, styles make fights. With that in mind, let’s take a look at three of the worst stylistic matches for UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira.
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#3 Conor McGregor vs Charles Oliveira
Aside from Oliveira’s latest victory over Michael Chandler, he has at times struggled against fighters with superior boxing. He was very lucky to even survive that first round with Chandler. The likes of Donald Cerrone, Max Holloway, Cub Swanson and Paul Felder can all boast knockout wins over the Brazilian - albeit in a different weight class.
Moving from featherweight to lightweight has looked like a masterstroke from Oliveira - but there was at one time a champion of both divisions at the same time, or a ‘champ champ’ if you will.
‘The Notorious’ Conor McGregor dominated the 145-pound division on his way to the title, before quickly moving up a weight class to defeat lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez and make UFC history. While the Irishman has had some blemishes on his record since then, he still contains ferocious power in his left hand, and a clean connection to the chin of Oliveira would be the ultimate test of the Brazilian’s new found resilience.
#2 Dustin Poirier vs Charles Oliveira
Perhaps the most interesting lightweight narrative to emerge in recent years, Dustin Poirier and Charles Oliveira may feel like kindred spirits. Both fighters attempted a stint in the featherweight division early in their UFC careers, and while there has been some success for both, it is only since they moved up to the lightweight division that we’ve seen these fighters flourish.
The Louisiana native has knocked out Justin Gaethje, Eddie Alvarez, and even given ‘The Notorious’ Conor McGregor his first trip to the land of nod. If ‘The Diamond’ finishes McGregor in back-to-back fights then Charles Oliveira has a legitimate reason to be worried.
#1 Islam Makhachev vs. Charles Oliveira
Unbeaten for over five years, Islam Makhachev is potentially the most dangerous opponent for Charles Oliveira. The Dagestani is currently on a seven-fight winning streak inside the octagon. While Makhachev is not in the top five UFC ranked lightweights, he is not a fighter to be overlooked.
Coming from the lineage of Khabib Nurmagomedov, Makhachev smothers his opponents with superior grappling, attempting submissions when the opportunity is presented. He has three submission wins on his UFC record.
Although Charles Oliveira holds the record for UFC submission wins (14), ‘Do Bronx’ will know a grappling match against a teammate of Khabib is possibly the biggest challenge for any fighter out there.
