When Charles Oliveira decided to take a fight in his native Brazil a few months after a knockout loss, UFC fans began to speculate it could be the last of his career. However, the Octagon legend looked to quiet the rumors this week.
“Honestly, people like to talk, right? A lot of people said it would be my farewell fight or that it was too soon. I just wanted to fight as soon as possible, I just wanted to be back inside the cage, I just wanted to fight in Brazil in front of my people, in front of my flag, in front of my family,” Oliveira told Sportsnaut.
“That’s what mattered to me, I just wanted to fight here again. And you saw the boom it was, the moment the fight was announced, tickets sold out right away,” he added. “That means a lot to me. I’m grateful, I’m happy, and now with 30 days to go, let’s make it happen.”
The former UFC lightweight champion suffered a KO loss in June at the hands of Ilia Topuria. When he booked his return a few weeks after the defeat, it surprised many. But UFC events in Brazil don’t happen often. And it has been a very long time since he competed inside the Octagon in front of his countrymen.
Charles Olivera says UFC Rio return ‘about legacy’
Oliveira’s last UFC fight in Brazil was in March of 2020 and was the first empty arena event following the start of the COVID pandemic. So, it has been even longer since he fought in front of fans in his homeland. That unique opportunity wasn’t something he felt he could pass up, and the MMA legends look forward to it in October.
“My last fight in Brazil was right at the start of the pandemic, right when all that craziness began. And I was the one headlining the first UFC card with no audience,” he recalls. “Now, after so many years, being able to come back, but this time in a different way, in front of my people, in front of my family. This means to me that it’s gonna be something magical, it’s gonna be about legacy.
“To feel the energy of the Brazilian people, to feel the strength of my family, and put it all inside so that I can make a great fight,” Oliveira says. “And if it’s God’s will, to walk away with a big victory, take the next step forward, get another great fight, and keep building from there.”
From Guaruja to working with The Rock and Project Rock
Ahead of his clash with Rafael Fiziev inside the Farmasi Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Charles Oliveira has also kept busy with a unique opportunity away from the cage. The 35-year-old is a new brand ambassador for the Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Under Armour collaborative brand, Project Rock.
The unexpected partnership is just the latest achievement in one of the UFC’s greatest rags-to-riches stories.
“It was both fun and gratifying to know that we’re part of something massive alongside The Rock. Man, honestly, I’ve done plenty of shoots before, but when I arrived and I saw buses, cars, this, that, I saw that it was something gigantic, the full day of production, that’s when I realized how huge and important this was,” said Oliveira.
“And of course, as a kid, I could never have imagined being part of something on this scale, a campaign this big. So I am deeply grateful to God, to my team, to The Rock and his crew, for giving me the chance to live all this experience here.”
