Charles Oliveira, the UFC lightweight champion, is without a doubt one of the top fighters in the division. He is currently on a nine-fight winning streak, which only supports his case. As of December 2021, the Brazilian holds a professional record of 31-8.
“Do Bronx” is all set to defend his title against the former UFC interim lightweight champion, Dustin Poirier. The fight will take place at UFC 269 on December 11 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
READ MORE: UFC 269: Oliveira vs Poirier- Sean O’Malley vs Raulian Paiva: Prediction and Analysis
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Dustin Poirier is no less of an opponent himself. ‘The Diamond‘ has beaten the likes of many great fighters in the division and is currently a powerful force in the UFC. Many people believe he will win the lightweight championship this weekend. Khabib Nurmagomedov, his former opponent, is among those who are backing Poirier at UFC 269.
In a recent interview with MMA journalist, ‘The Schmo’, Charles Oliveira expressed his thoughts on what ‘The Eagle‘ had to say about his upcoming fight.
Via a translator, Oliveria told The Schmo, “To be honest, I don’t care what Khabib says. He can say whatever he wants. He’s retired now. So I don’t really care about what he has to say.”
He continued,” I don’t really care about this talk. People can think of whatever they want. Every time someone tell me I’m going to lose, I go there and prove them that they’re wrong, and I get the W.”
Hence, it seems like Oliveira is laser-focused on his impending fight and could not care less about what others have to say.
Charles Oliveira: From the slums to UFC champion
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Oliveira has really beaten the odds throughout his life to get where he is today. He was born into a very poor family in the favelas (slums) of Sao Paulo. To make ends meet as a youngster, he used to help his mother sell cheese salads. Furthermore, he would work as a laborer.
Through his neighborhood friend, he got introduced to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and trained on a scholarship. With hard work and determination, he fought his way through the local promotions and made it to the UFC. It took him 28 fights in the promotion to clinch the title, and the rest is history.
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WATCH THIS STORY: Dustin Poirier’s Grueling Training Routine for His Title Fight Against Charles Oliveira at UFC 269
Hence, it is clear that Oliveira is no stranger to proving people wrong. He will look to do the same on Saturday as well.