Charles ‘Do Bronx’ Oliveira has been lighting up the 155lb division of late, so perhaps understandably he’s been left frustrated by the fact the UFC’s new recruit from Bellator, Michael Chandler, has instantly been pushed into a reserve role in case either Khabib Nurmagomedov or Justin Gaethje has to pull out of their title fight at UFC 254 in late October.
“I’m in the best moment of my life, seven wins, man, and I don’t have an opportunity to fight someone in the top-5,” Oliveira told mmafighting.com “And now some guy from Bellator, who got knocked out in the first round [by Patricio Freire], he gets signed and is the next challenger for the belt. How come? I don’t get it. I don’t understand it.
“It’s seven wins in a row and I don’t leave it in the judges’ hands, I go there and get the knockout or the submission. Go watch all of my fights, the first one all the way until my last one against Kevin Lee, which one wasn’t a show? When did I get booed? Never. Regardless if I won or lost, I’m always moving forward, always putting on a show.”
It would be difficult to argue with Oliveira, who currently resides at No.6 in the lightweight division after his winning streak. The record books don’t lie and the Brazilian currently has the most submission wins in UFC history (14) and is tied for the most finishes (16). Not only that but he also has the most ‘Performance Of The Night’ bonuses ever too (10).
Unfortunately, despite his best efforts Oliveira fears that only by causing a commotion outside of the cage will he be able to get the fights that he feels he deserves.
“If Charles could choose it would be someone from the top-5, any of them, but since things have been rough and I don’t know what’s going on and what I’m supposed to do, if I have to go there and talk trash, throw chairs through a bus, attack someone… I don’t know.
“That’s the point, I don’t know what I have to do. I go there and put on a show, I don’t turn anyone down, and I don’t have an opportunity. I think I’ll have to be the Charles that everybody knows I’m not, I’ll have to shove my opponent and curse their families, throw chairs and break things to be noted. I guess that’s what’s missing.”
