Oliveira Eyes Quick Return After UFC 300 Loss, Open to Big Fights at Welterweight
Former UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira is eager to get back into the octagon following his narrow split decision loss to Arman Tsarukyan at UFC 300 earlier this month. Despite the setback, Oliveira is already back in training and eager to take on high-ranking opponents.
“I left [Las Vegas] asking for another fight right away,” Oliveira told MMA Fighting. “I want to fight as early as possible. I had two or three stitches over my eye but that’s gone already. I have no injuries whatsoever. I’m ready to fight again as soon as the UFC calls me.”
Oliveira, also known as “Do Bronx,” is clear about his goals: he wants to face top-tier fighters. “I don’t have anything to prove to anyone and everybody knows my history in the UFC, so there’s no point accepting fights with the No. 8 or 10 in the division. I want to fight people who are ahead of me. That’s why we have to wait and think, analyze the next step we’ll take.”
In the meantime, Oliveira is maintaining his sharpness by helping his teammates prepare for their bouts. He will be cornering his Chute Boxe teammate Elves Brener against Myktybek Orolbai at UFC 301 on May 4.
A rematch with Justin Gaethje, whom Oliveira submitted in 2022, was on Oliveira’s radar. However, Gaethje has announced plans to take an extended break following his knockout loss to Max Holloway. “He’s not wrong,” Oliveira said. “[Taking time off is] not my idea, I want to fight way earlier than that, so [waiting for Gaethje] doesn’t align with what I’m planning on doing.”
With Gaethje out of the immediate picture and the lightweight division bustling with significant matchups, Oliveira is open to exploring opportunities at welterweight. “Why not take a fight that will lead us to money and history and legacy? We have to think about it and talk to the organization. Why not move up in weight and do a big fight? A fight that makes sense and gives us money? Why not?”
Reflecting on his recent fight against Tsarukyan, Oliveira admitted he hasn’t rewatched the bout and doesn’t plan to. “I don’t even watch the ones I won,” he said. Although many fans and pundits felt Oliveira had the edge, he respects the judges’ decision. “I had the best opportunities to finish the fight but they decided to give the other side the win. If I wanted the victory to be mine, I should have knocked him out or submitted him. When it goes to a decision, it’s kind of complicated.”
Looking back, Oliveira identified areas where he could have been more assertive. “I could have been more aggressive, walked forward, and pushed the pace on the feet. I shouldn’t have waited that long on the ground, I could have battled and moved more. In my eyes, I think I won the first round pretty clearly. I lost the second round. The third was the closest one. Everything I say here will be controversial, but that’s the reality. If you watch it, he took me down, but what did he do? He did nothing. He just laid there, quietly. I was trying to submit him.”
While the outcome of the Tsarukyan fight won’t change, Oliveira is determined to use it as motivation. “There’s no point complaining about something that won’t change. The result won’t change. Many people gave me the win just like many people said I lost. A lot of people will talk crap online like they always do, of course, but it won’t change. That only fuels me to work harder. I know how hard I worked to get where I got and put on that fight.”
With a renewed focus and determination, Oliveira looks forward to his next challenge, whether it remains in the lightweight division or a new adventure at welterweight.
