How did Charles Oliveira become UFC Lightweight Champion?

The story of Charles Oliveira’s rise to UFC gold and glory is one fit for the movies. Oliveira earned his shot at the title the hard way, having dealt with many obstacles, injuries, and losses on the way. The Brazilian fighter was born into a poor family in a Favela in the town of Guaruja in Sao Paulo.

As a child, ‘Do Bronx’ wanted to be a football player but was diagnosed with a heart murmur and rheumatic arthritis. The latter compromised his ankle and fears were he would become a paraplegic because of it. However, Charles overcame the disease and was introduced to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at the age of 12.

He incorporated it into his MMA career that began in 2007. Being a high-level grappler and having an instinct for fighting, he quickly amassed an undefeated record of 12–0, with six knockouts and five submissions. As ‘Do Bronx’ quickly garnered a reputation as a hot young prospect, the UFC signed him as a 20-year-old in 2010.

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Originally published at https://sportsandworld.com on April 18, 2022.