What Is Charles Oliveira’s Nationality, Ethnicity, and Origin? Can He Speak English?

Charles Oliveira is once again standing on the brink of greatness. He’s set to face Ilia Topuria at UFC 317, with the vacant lightweight belt on the line. While fans debate who’ll leave Las Vegas with gold, many are also curious about something else.

What’s his story? Where did he come from? And what beliefs carried him through the storms of life? Let’s break down ‘Do Bronx’s inspiring journey, one piece at a time.

What is Charles Oliviera’s ethnicity and nationality?

Charles Oliveira is proudly Brazilian. Born on October 17, 1989, he hails from Vicente de Carvalho in Guarujá, a coastal city in São Paulo. Oliveira got the name ‘Do Bronx’, which means from the Bronx. Bronx is a Brazilian slang term used for favelas, and he grew up in the favelas of Vicente de Carvalho. He tries and gives back to his people in any way possible and makes sure he maintains a positive presence in his hometown.

He had a humble beginning, and his family struggled to make ends meet. Before he started his training in BJJ, Oliveira used to sell cheese salad with his mom. They used to sell the salad from a trailer to make ends meet. Through this work, he was introduced to many people and came across people who trained in BJJ. Because of financial restraints, he could not pay the training fees, but he was allowed to train for free by the coach.

When Oliveira was seven years old, a doctor diagnosed him with rheumatic fever and a heart murmur. It severely affected his ankle, and he was told he could develop paraplegia.

However, Oliveira was introduced to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and started training in it at the age of 12. He won his first tournament as a white belt in 2003. Since then, he hasn’t looked back.  But what about ‘Do Bronx’s religion?

Is Charles Oliveira a Christian?

‘Do Bronx’ is an avid follower of Christianity. He often says, “eu sou iluminado.” The English translation of the Portuguese phrase is “I am illuminated.” Needless to say, this phrase reflects Oliveira’s belief in Christ, since illumination is God’s blessing for a believer when he willingly submits himself to the glory of the gospel.

The former lightweight champion has also spoken a few words about faith. He said, “Faith can move mountains. If you believe and have faith, you will climb this building without any equipment…You experience things you never thought you would. That’s faith.” 

Talking about being the one to spread the word of Christ, Oliveira said, “I was chosen, I was chosen to talk about God. I was chosen to show that a kid from a slum community can be successful, I was chosen to show that your faith in God can move mountains.”

From health struggles to championship belts, Charles Oliveira credits it all to faith. For him, it isn’t just about winning fights, it’s about proving that belief can rewrite destiny.

Can ‘Do Bronx’ speak English?

Charles Oliveira’s journey is nothing short of a miracle. As mentioned above, he was born in the favela of Vicente de Carvalho in Guarujá, São Paulo, and he once dreamed not of UFC belts, but of goals on the soccer pitch. Then came the real challenge. At age seven, Oliveira was diagnosed with rheumatic fever. Doctors warned he could end up paraplegic. But ‘Do Bronx’ didn’t give up. He refused to let illness steal his dreams.

In a past interview, he confessed, “I always believed and had a lot of faith that any dream I had, I could achieve it. Of course, as with any kid at the time, I just wanted to play football and have a future in that. But sports in general in Brazil are complicated; there aren’t many opportunities for everyone, so I knew it would be hard. But I just kept my faith and believed everything would happen the way I wanted.”

His medical diagnosis could’ve broken him. Instead, it built him. He started training in BJJ and won his first tournament as a white belt in 2003. His journey snowballed from there. In 2007, he began his MMA career, going 12-0 before earning a UFC call-up.

Despite his rise, Oliveira never left his past behind. He stayed connected to his people and continued training with his team in Brazil. And while English was once a barrier, he’s slowly been breaking it down too. After winning his fight at UFC 289, Oliveira told the crowd, “The champion has a name, Charles Oliveira, brother.” This was one of the first times fans had heard English from the former champ.

In conclusion, Charles Oliveira isn’t just fighting Ilia Topuria at UFC 317. He’s fighting for his story, one that started in a favela, lit up by faith, and now shines on the biggest stage in MMA!