How did Charles Oliveira become the greatest finisher in UFC history?

Former UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira is among the greatest fighters of the modern age. He is a dynamic threat in every facet of MMA, whether it's grappling or striking. The Brazilian fights with a fearlessness that occasionally borders on recklessness, but it is part of what makes him great.

At UFC 289, 'do Bronx' took on streaking lightweight contender Beneil Dariush in a potential title eliminator. What was initially predicted to be a competitive matchup ended up a decisive win for Oliveira as he TKO'd his foe en route to extending his record number of finishes in the UFC.

While Charles Oliveira now awaits a call from the UFC to set up his sought-after rematch against reigning divisional kingpin Islam Makhachev, his finish over Beneil Dariush was a reminder of why 'do Bronx' has become everyone's favorite fighter and why he is the promotion's greatest-ever finisher.

But what exactly makes him such a great finisher, the likes of which legends like Donald 'Cowboy' Cerrone and Jim Miller can't even contend with?

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Charles Oliveira is a submission specialist

While Charles Oliveira may not be as credentialed as someone like Gilbert Burns when it comes to Brazilian jiu-jitsu, 'do Bronx' is far more dangerous on the mat. 'Durinho' focuses on the positional aspects of 'The Gentle Art'. Meanwhile, Oliveira is an aggressive hunter of limbs and necks.

Part of his success in forcing his foes to tap out stems from his length. Being tall and long isn't merely an attribute with uses in striking exchanges, it is also useful in grappling as it grants Charles Oliveira considerable leverage and the ability to sink in chokes from angles that shorter limbs would otherwise struggle to.

Additionally, whereas a wrestler like undefeated lightweight legend Khabib Nurmagomedov might be more interested in raising his hips to tripod into half-guard or full-mount for ground-and-pound, 'do Bronx' is of a different mind. Charles Oliveira has an eye for his opponent's back.

His preferred position on top is the back-mount due to the greater and safer percentage of submissions one can score from there, with a lower risk of consequences in the event of failure. He often uses aggressive ground-and-pound to trick opponents into turning away and exposing their backs.

The moment they do so, he traps them in a body triangle and starts searching for a rear-naked choke. However, Oliveira is also an opportunistic grappler and will sink in a submission if his foes offer him an opening to exploit. This was demonstrated in his submission win over Kevin Lee.

'The Motown Phenom' shot for a takedown with his head positioned on the outside of Oliveira's hip. This allowed the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt to immediately sink in a counter-guillotine choke, which is facilitated by his long arms. If he fails to secure a guillotine choke and is taken to the mat, Oliveira doesn't panic, it's his world.

Instead, he uses his butterfly guard or even an omoplata to sweep his opponents. The omoplata is a low-percentage shoulder lock that most competent grapplers simply roll out of. However, Oliveira uses it to force his foes to roll into a compromising position as he rolls with their momentum to wind up on top.

His eye for submissions and openings on the mat has enabled him to break the UFC record for the most submissions in the promotion's history. But his striking is equally dangerous.

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Charles Oliveira is an all-offense action fighter on his feet

Confidence and power are important factors in Charles Oliveira's overall striking style. The former lightweight titleholder walks his opponents down without fear, battering their bodies with front kicks designed to chip away at their cardio while backing them up to the fence.

He can do so without much consequence due to most of Oliveira's opponents fearing his deadly submission game to such an extent that they avoid shooting for takedowns against him at all. Thus, 'do Bronx' is able to tire many of his foes as early as the second round by ruthlessly attacking the body.

Furthermore, by fighting tall, he is able to maximize his range without fear of ending up on his back as, again, most of his foes fear his submissions. This is partly responsible for his win over Dustin Poirier and his victory over Justin Gaethje, as both men refused to follow him to the ground after hurting him.

This enables the Chute Box standout to find his range with supreme ease, as he throws front kicks as his primary distance management tool. This, paired with his counter-left hook, renders him a lethal puncher. In order to land a hook, a fighter must stand close enough to be tagged by their opponent's hook.

This is something Charles Oliveira understands well. It won him undisputed gold against Michael Chandler and has been paying dividends since. As the taller, longer fighter, he benefits from his opponents being the ones who need to find their range and get close enough to land on him, while his range is already set.

Thus, his foes automatically wade into hook range. Furthermore, 'do Bronx' loves extending his combinations as it increases the chance that his opponents will try to return fire. But as he often sets a longer range that suits him, his opponents merely succeed in giving him more openings to land his counter-left hook.

Unfortunately, Oliveira isn't the most defensively sound fighter and lacks head movement. But he makes up for this by using the Thai clinch when hurt, tugging their head down into the path of knees. If he cannot find the head, he lands knees to the body, using his height and leverage to control his foe's posture.

While he does get hurt and rocked often, 'do Bronx' also ensures that he either overwhelms his foes with volume en route to a TKO or annihilates them with the dynamite in his hands. Charles Oliveira lives by the sword or dies by the sword. There is no in-between.