Charles Oliveira wasn’t going to miss his opportunity for a Brazil homecoming, no matter what.
Things didn’t go well for the former UFC lightweight champion in his opportunity to recapture gold in June. Like many before him who have taken on the undefeated Ilia Topuria, Oliveira suffered a devastating knockout loss. The setback was Oliveira’s first via strikes since 2017, leading many to wonder if Oliveira’s upcoming clash with Rafael Fiziev on Oct. 11 at UFC Rio was too quick of a turnaround.
Advertisement
Speaking on Uncrowned’s “The Ariel Helwani Show” on Wednesday, “Do Bronx” dismissed any concerns.
“There are people that are making comments, but they’re just making the comments out of the goodness of their heart,” Oliveira said through a translator. “There are other people that are making the comments, meaning bad by it. I’m just happy and focused.
“Things that happened in the past have already passed. I’m not going to be bringing them up again. This is a new fight, a new place. I’m just really grateful to have this opportunity and keep doing what I’m supposed to do, regardless of those who want to speak bad about me.”
Oliveira, 35, has been a relatively active competitor throughout his UFC career, fighting often since his 2008 debut. The turnaround for his latest bout is mostly a shock because of the brutal fashion in which he lost, yet the former champion said he was always hopeful to return home for a big fight.
Advertisement
“I honestly wanted to go back to fight as quickly as possible,” he said, “but also I wanted to be in front of the public. I received a lot of love from the general public [after the Topuria loss], and I just wanted to carry that message, be face-to-face with my family, my fans, my flag, and so I think it’s a conjunction of many factors there [that led to the quick turnaround].”
Against Topuria, Oliveira fought for UFC gold for the first time since pound-for-pound No. 1 Islam Makhachev snapped Oliveira’s impressive 11-fight win streak in 2022.
Oliveira has been an elite contender in the lightweight division for the better part of the past decade. Despite Topuria’s thunderous arrival to 155 pounds, the Brazilian doesn’t view June’s loss as anything more dramatic than previous setbacks in his career. He said it’s led him back to the drawing board and he’s taken it for what it was.
“It was his night, and I was expecting to come up and do a certain thing, and it just didn’t happen for me; it happened for him. It was just his night, and he did better than I did,” Oliveira said.
Advertisement
“I really wanted to go back and fight the very next day because of all the messages, all the love I received, all the videos I saw. Everything was motivating me, but between my trainer and everything else, they said, ‘Let’s go home, let’s rest a little bit and go see the family,’ and that’s what I did. I’m ready to go.”
When the UFC approached Oliveira with the Fiziev matchup, it wasn’t so much the opponent that mattered for the Brazilian lightweight as it was the location. Oliveira has been flawless when fighting in his home country, winning all 17 of his professional fights in Brazil.
Advertisement
He also hasn’t contemplated retirement as he gears up for his first non-pay-per-view fight in several years. Despite being nearly 50 bouts into his illustrious career, and holding a litany of all-time UFC longevity records, Oliveira is confident there’s plenty left in his tank, starting with the resurgent Fiziev.
“It’s really the fact that I wanted to fight at UFC Rio,” Oliveira said. “Out of all the names that came up, Fiziev was the one that was up for it. It’s going to be a hard fight. He moves fast. He’s a complete athlete. I think it’s going to be good for the entertainment. I really wanted to be on UFC Rio.
“I really don’t think about this desire to retire. I think I’m doing well. I think I’m in a good phase [of my career] right now. Obviously I’m happy for these guys [who do retire] because they feel that they did their thing and it’s their time to retire. For me, I think there’s still a lot to happen, a lot I can show.
“What I tell everybody is that I feel a lot of pleasure in doing what I’m doing. So when you’re doing something that you’re still happy to do, and still have the will to do it, you gotta keep going.”
