Charles Oliveira will be hoping to return to the form that saw him win 11 straight fights before being crowned the UFC lightweight champion.
This coming Saturday June 28, Charles Oliveira returns to the Octagon when he takes on Ilia Topuria for the vacant lightweight title in the UFC 317 main event to cap off International Fight Week.
Just a few days out from the huge fight in Vegas, it was revealed that fellow 155lb contender Arman Tsarukyan will weigh-in as the backup, having already beaten Oliveira at UFC 300.
Ahead of their clash, Topuria has continuously claimed that he will finish ‘Do Bronx’, showcasing the same confidence that saw him knockout Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway back-to-back.
Despite that, it is the Brazilian who holds a big size advantage in this matchup and he will be hoping to return to the form that saw him win 11 fights in a row, including an utter masterclass against Tony Ferguson.
Charles Oliveira almost ripped Ferguson’s arm off during masterclass performance
Oliveira has one of the more interesting stories in combat sports and throughout his career, he has worked tirelessly to turn his reputation around.
Early on during his tenure in the UFC, Oliveira was labeled a ‘quitter’, especially after he quit during his first main event fight against Max Holloway in 2015.
However, it was in 2018 when the Brazilian’s fortunes began to turn around and he kicked off an incredible streak with a submission win over Clay Guida.
And then after wins over the likes of Jim Miller and Kevin Lee, ‘Do Bronx’ was matched up against the lightweight boogeyman, ‘El Cucuy’ Ferguson.
Ferguson was given an interim lightweight title fight against Justin Gaethje in 2020 after Khabib Nurmagomedov suffered an injury. Gaethje went on to utterly dominate Ferguson handing him his first loss in 12 fights.
However, during their UFC 256 co-main event, matters immediately got worse for Ferguson as Oliveira came out hungry to score a statement win.
The Brazilian immediately showed off his improved striking and landed several big shots on the chin of Ferguson. And after dominating him on the mat for the entirety of round one, Oliveira caught Ferguson in an armbar at the end of the round, almost ripping his arm off before he was saved by the bell.
The following two rounds played out the exact same as ‘Do Bronx’ continued to utterly batter Ferguson, going on to pick up the unanimous decision win, earning himself a title fight.
Joe Rogan was shocked to see Ferguson dominated
For several years, Ferguson was considered as one of the best lightweight fighters on the planet, however Oliveira utterly brutalized him for three rounds.
Sitting cageside, Joe Rogan couldn’t quite believe that the Brazilian was making such easy work of ‘El Cucuy’, saying: “Look what’s happening here, oh my goodness, he might’ve broken his arm.
“Oliveira was dominating him on the feet as well, though, which is crazy. Who does this? Who does this? No one does this on the ground with Tony Ferguson, this is incredible… How good is this guy?” Rogan continued.
With a win over Topuria on Saturday night, Oliveira would make UFC history as the first two-time UFC lightweight champion.