Despite his numerous record-breaking achievements, former UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira has been underestimated at nearly every point of his life. And that trend has continued as he sets up to face #4-ranked Arman Tsarukyan at UFC 300 this Saturday, where he is going in as the betting underdog.

This is despite him having the most submission wins, finishes, and bonuses of any fighter in UFC history. However, ‘Do Bronx’ has a knack for proving people wrong and shutting his critics up, as he did in his title run from 2018 to 2021, which included eleven consecutive victories against formidable opponents in the stacked lightweight division. And a large part of the credit goes not only to his never-give-up attitude and resilient mindset but also to his aggressive and submission-oriented fighting style.

Charles Oliveira’s fighting style

Charles Oliveira was born into poverty in the infamous favelas of Guaruja and Sao Paulo in Brazil and suffered from physical ailments from the very beginning. At the age of seven, the Brazilian was told by doctors that he would never be able to play sports again since he suffered from a heart murmur and rheumatic fever. But Oliviera never let that hold him back.

Oliveira began training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at the age of twelve and would soon become the Sao Paulo BJJ champion. Fast forward two decades, and ‘Do Bronx’ holds a black belt in BJJ and is among the best fighters in (arguably) the best, most competitive division in the best, most competitive MMA promotion in the world.

Charles Oliveira’s fighting style is based on his BJJ background, which allows him to be the most dangerous if he manages to get his opponents’ backs. Once he locks in on your back, it’s his world, his rules, his hunt and the opponent rarely finds a way out.

While he may primarily be a grappler, he has long, thin, and strong limbs, which he uses to great effect in striking his opponents with his effective kickboxing. All of this, along with his granite will and warrior mindset make him a very formidable opponent for all his opponents.

Oliveira laughs at Tsarukyan’s insults before UFC 300

Not only has Charles Oliveira opened as the betting underdog against the much younger and less experienced Arman Tsarukyan, but he has also been insulted by the public and critics. Tsarukyan has slammed ‘Do Bronx’ for being one-dimensional and over-reliant on his grappling skills.

But Oliveira is not concerned. As we have seen, ‘Do Bronx’s knack for overcoming long odds has continued into his UFC career as he dealt with the likes of Justin Gaethje and Dustin Poirier despite the odds and public opinion being against him.

And the Brazilian is confident of a victory against the 27-year-old at UFC 300. He laughed off Tsarukyan’s comments and attributed it to arrogance on the youngster’s part. “It’s arrogance but I think each and every one of us plays the game in a different way. He’s going to say the things he’s going to say… For him to say I’m only good at one thing, I’ve been here for 14 years so all I can do is laugh. It actually motivates me, if you’ve got a strong mind like I have right now, that only motivates you. If you’ve got a weak mind, that’s going to get you,” Oliveira said.

The winner of their bout promised a title shot next, and the bad blood palpable between the two men, Charles Oliveira vs. Arman Tsarukyan, is one of the most exciting fights on the stacked UFC 300 mega-card. What are your predictions for UFC 300?

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