UFC 300: A preview of Charles Oliveira vs. Arman Tsarukyan

At UFC 300, Charles Oliveira and Arman Tsarukyan will lock horns in a bout that will likely determine the next challenger for the lightweight title. Oliveira is a former lightweight champion and the greatest finisher in UFC history: adept at both knocking his opponents out as much as choking them unconscious.

Tsarukyan, meanwhile, is a rising contender. He is yet to taste championship gold, but many predict that he one day will. Like 'do Bronx,' he is lethal both standing and on the ground. But many question his ability to compete with Oliveira given his lack of elite competition relative to the Brazilian's own strength of schedule.

Unfortunately, that is the same rhetoric many used to discredit Islam Makhachev, only for the Dagestani star to dominate 'do Bronx' at UFC 280. So, with UFC 300 just days away, the bout between Oliveira and Tsarukyan deserves a look into their skill-sets, starting with the former champion.

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Fighter Profile: Charles Oliveira

Charles Oliveira is a born pressure fighter. He marches forward with conviction, often backing his opponent up to the fence with front kicks to the body. While they may not seem like much, his front kicks chip away at his foe's cardio every time he digs his foot into their midsection.

His body work isn't limited to front kicks though. Oliveira, often the taller fighter, will smother his opponent's attempt to close the distance by smothering them with a Thai clinch, using his height and length for leverage as he controls their posture, tugging on the back of their neck, while kneeing them in the gut.

By round two, his foe is often exhausted. His striking prowess, however, is more than body work. On occasion, Oliveira's kicks target the head, which they did when he faced Beneil Dariush, who he rocked by faking a right straight to trick him into slipping the blow, only for his head to move into a head kick.

Check out Charles Oliveira TKO Beneil Dariush:

However, his front kicks are his primary ones, as they also double as range-finding tools. Since his opponents fear taking him to the ground, hardly anyone catches Oliveira's kicks, allowing him to kick with freedom. Once he finds his range, 'do Bronx' lets his hands go.

Due to his reach and height, his hooks are as long as some of his foe's jabs, forcing most of his foes to overextend as they step into range. Unfortunately, Oliveira is defensively poor, with a brittle chin made worse by his inability to move his head off the center-line when he strikes.

He is often rocked and knocked down in his fights, but benefits from his opponent's fear of following him to the mat, which buys him infinite recovery time against most, with Makhachev being the exception.

On the ground, Oliveira is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu wizard, where his long limbs enable chokes and submissions from angles and with leverage that shorter limbs cannot compete with. He is also a grappling opportunist, immediately jumping the back the moment his opponent exposes it.

This opportunism also led to the guillotine choke he used to counter Kevin Lee's takedown. When on his back, 'do Bronx' is composed, using a butterfly guard or the threat of an omoplata to sweep his opponent, forcing them to roll out of the shoulder lock, only for him to roll with their momentum and wind up on top.

Check out Charles Oliveira choke out Kevin Lee:

Danger is what best describes Oliveira as a fighter, and Tsarukyan ought to be prepared for it.

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Fighter Profile: Arman Tsarukyan

Like Charles Oliveira, Arman Tsarukyan enjoys pressuring his opponent. He is not as varied as 'do Bronx,' but no less dynamic and explosive. He relies on boxing fundamentals on the feet, often throwing his jab first to measure the distance before throwing a right cross or hook.

However, as was the case with the great Georges St-Pierre, 'Akhalkalets' has a multi-purpose jab. Due to his wrestling background, Tsarukyan fights from a low stance, from which he can both shoot for takedowns and quickly sprawl to defend himself from them. This adds power to his jab, much like St-Pierre's.

Furthermore, it means his jab comes from underneath his opponent. This allows it to slip through the gap of his foe's guard, especially against taller foes. He is also a fan of faking the jab to set up his lead left hook, flicking it out before turning at the final instance to land the blow.

This spares him from being countered by a check hook as easily, as he is not initially in classical lead hook range to be countered. His lead hand also factored into his win over Beneil Dariush. 'Akhalkalets' flicked out a jab, then right cross to force Dariush to cover up and duck, after which he quickly secured a Thai clinch.

Check out Arman Tsarukyan KO Beneil Dariush:

With a double collar tie, he tugged Dariush's ducking head into the path of a rising knee, dropping him, before knocking him out with ground-and-pound. Tsarukyan is tenacious and powerful, but unlike Oliveira, isn't all about pressure, occasionally retreats, and uses lateral footwork to shuffle around the cage.

He does so to regain space, refill his gas tank, and set up kicks, as he needs a wider area for his kicks to land. While he is a powerful and dangerous striker, Tsarukyan's true mastery is in wrestling, which is of such a high level that even Islam Makhachev somewhat struggled against it.

He has an explosive double-leg takedown, one that he often shoots for after using his left hook to draw out his foe's check hook. The moment his opponent squares their hips to counter him, he ducks under with a powerful blast double. Additionally, given his fearsome physical strength, he is exceptional in the clinch.

Tsarukyan is quick to fight for underhooks, securing a bodylock, before raising his opponent's hips above his own, as he bumps into them and slams them to the mat. Alternatively, if he has an over-under grip, he'll turn his torso towards his underhook and use his lead leg to kick out his opponent's for an inside-trip.

This was best seen when he faced 2015 ADCC world champion Davi Ramos. He is also freakishly athletic during grappling sequences, often exploding into scrambles the moment he's in a poor position. Occasionally, he'll do so to force his opponent to scramble with him, only for him to hunt for their neck quickly.

Check out Arman Tsarukyan out-grappling Davi Ramos:

From here, he can secure chokes. But once the fight hits the mat, he focuses more on control, tying up the wrist and triangling the legs. Alas, much like his UFC 300 foe, he is poor defensively, not moving his head off the center-line while also depleting his own gas tanks due to how explosively he fights.

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The Verdict

Arman Tsarukyan presents a tough challenge for Charles Oliveira. The Brazilian's success has benefitted greatly from opponents who fear following him to the mat after hurting him. This will not be the case with Tsarukyan, who has the tools to hurt Oliveira and follow him to the mat to finish him if the opportunity arises.

Furthermore, it is important to note how easily Beneil Dariush was able to take down 'do Bronx' despite losing the fight. Additionally, Islam Makhachev used trip takedowns in the clinch, which Tsarukyan specializes in, to ground Oliveira in their bout. So, the Brazilian will likely find himself on his back at least once.

However, Oliveira's combination of length, power, and his front kicks could punish Tsarukyan, especially due to the latter's energy-intensive style. It will be a difficult fight, and competitive.

But with youth on his side, the ability to follow Oliveira to the ground, and the amount of damage the Brazilian has absorbed in four of his last five bouts, look for Tsarukyan to stun the lightweight division with a TKO.