Charles Oliveira Is the New UFC Lightweight Champion

 

Ten years and 28 fights into his UFC career, Charles Oliveira is now a champion! Oliveira won the UFC lightweight belt and broke his tie with Donald Cerrone for the record of most finishes in the company’s history in the same fight. Oliveira won the lightweight title in his 28th UFC fight, the most fights needed to win the undisputed title. He has a nine-fight win streak at lightweight with eight finishes. His 17 finishes are most in UFC history.

People questioned Oliveira’s heart, he proved them wrong on Saturday, stopping Michael Chandler in the second round after getting dominated in the first round. At age seven he was told he may never walk again after contracting illness. At age 20 he made his UFC debut. At age 31 he won the UFC lightweight championship. From the favela to the top of the world it was quite the journey for Charles Oliveira.

Born and raised in Sao Paulo, Brazil, it isn’t surprising that Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) was Charles Oliveira’s first martial arts discipline before trying MMA. Oliveira became a gym fiend at nine years old and he hasn’t looked back. Nicknamed ‘do Bronx’ because the gym where he first started was also called Bronx, Oliveira earned his black belt under Ericson Cardoso and Jorge Patino in 2010.

Charles Oliveira has the most submission wins in UFC history (15) and the most finishes (17) but those records were not his endgame, he wanted to hold UFC gold. He doesn’t get paid by the hour, he has won his last nine fights and only his unanimous decision win against Tony Ferguson at UFC 256 on December 12th went the distance.

 

Born: October 17th, 1989

Age: 31

Country: Brazil

Height: 5’10″

Weight: 155 lbs

Reach: 74″

Stance: Orthodox

Association: Chute Boxe Diego Lima / Gold Team

Class: Lightweight

Record: 31-8-1