Lightweight Charles Oliveira at an open-to-the-public press conference, PK, Pressekonferenz hosted at the George R. Brown Convention Center ahead of UFC 262 Olivera vs. Chandler on Saturday. Houston USA - ZUMAb177 20210513_zap_b177_031 Copyright: xTaidghxBarronx
UFC lightweight fighter Charles Oliveira is impressed by the video of an African child’s video of boxing training – the former champ went on to holler at FC Barcelona
Charles Oliveira’s rise to the top is the perfect chronicle of an underdog’s story from rags to riches. ‘Do Bronx’ has faced umpteen dire straits in his life, but somehow emerged victorious through hard work, dedication, and staunch mentality.
Recently a video emerged on Twitter of a little African oy working the boxing mitts with his trainer wearing an FC Barcelona t-shirt. FC Barcelona is one of the most prominent clubs in European football, and also have their own grassroots development program called ‘La Masia’.
UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya had once said that Africa has a treasure chest of undiscovered raw talent, and that the continent is the future of the UFC. He stated that if you get the kids to start kicking pads instead of a football, thousands of fighters will emerge.
Charles Oliveira posted the video on Twitter and tagged FC Barcelona on it, in hopes that the club might discover the talented kid. Watch the video below-
Charles Oliveira has been on a remarkable 11 fight win streak, and his demolition of Justin Gaethje has sparked the debate as to who is the better fighter between him and Khabib Nurmagomedov. Oliveira is the true embodiment of what a switch in mindset can do to your career. With 16 submissions and 19 finishes, Oliveira has the record for being the most dangerous finisher inside the octagon.
Many have voiced that two or three more victories would cement Charles Oliveira as the true lightweight ‘GOAT’, by dethroning Khabib Nurmagomedov. Both fighters have a humdinger and unprecedented legacy, but it is noteworthy to mention that Charles Oliveira has beaten Khabib’s opponents quicker and faster than him. This sparks the biggest debate that whether Charles is actually better than the undefeated Khabib Nurmagomedov.
UFC lightweight prospect Terrance McKinney had his fair share of opinion on the on-going debate, suggesting that the Brazilian has done enough to surpass the Dagestani.
“I think he is wrong. I think Charles is better, in my opinion,” McKinney said “He throws up his hands. He finished everyone. He is not just on [a long winning] streak, he finishes people off. A lot of Khabib’s fights were decisions and he didn’t start finishing people off.”
“He did great, he was undefeated, but for me, Charles is about to become a goat in our weight class,” McKinney said. “That’s my opinion because he can throw punches, he can fight and he just really showed what a champion is – all his fights were interesting, I didn’t see a single boring fight from him. And I can name a couple of boring fights that I saw from Khabib. He’s right, they’re not on the same playing field. [Oliveira is] 100 percent better.”
More MMA news
Follow our dedicated MMA page for instant MMA news and updates