Charles Oliveira wants to become champion again.
‘Do Bronx’ will look to take a big leap toward that goal this Saturday when he steps back into the Octagon in his home country for a high-stakes headliner against rising lightweight standout Mateusz Gamrot.
Oliveira has been chasing the 155-pound crown since he was stripped of the gold in May 2022 after failing to make weight for a scheduled defense against Justin Gaethje at UFC 274. Do Bronx’ had a chance to regain the title later that year, but it ultimately fell to Islam Makhachev.
“It’s not about what’s at stake; it’s about what you want,” Oliveira said Nice junkie prior to his return to action on October 11. “If I win, I’ll take another step forward, closer to my dream. There’s no pressure, nothing big at stake. What’s at stake is my victory.”
Oliveira is not particularly concerned about how he achieves victory.
“That doesn’t motivate me. I want to win – it doesn’t matter if it’s by knockout, submission or decision. All I care about is getting the win. I’m an MMA fighter. This fight can be on foot or on the ground. I’m ready for anything.”
Charles Oliveira faces a tough test against short-term Gamrot
Oliveira was originally set to headline UFC Rio against Rafael Fiziev before ‘Ataman’ pulled out due to injury. Stepping in will be Gamrot, who is currently the eighth-ranked contender in the lightweight division – four spots behind Oliveira.
Gamrot has won four of his last five indoors Octagonincluding a trio of victories over Jalin Turner, Fiziev and Rafael dos Anjos. In his last appearance, ‘Gamer’ scored a unanimous decision against Ľudovít Klein.
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