Charles Oliveira is one of the most successful fighters in UFC history, being a former lightweight champion and having the most finishes in the promotion’s history. Interestingly, he did not realize his potential until fairly late in his career, after multiple weight misses at 145 forced him to permanently move up.
Coming off his first true knockout loss in a while and entering a crossroads fight, however, Oliveira may be seeing the end of the road. His main-event homecoming against Rafael Fiziev in October has raised concerns from fans, given the quick turnaround. When speaking to Ag Fight on Thursday, he rejected any notions that the fight was career-threatening:
“People are trying to retire me before I want to. I haven’t even thought about retirement. In every interview I’ve done today, all of them asked me about retirement. I have no desire to retire whatsoever. …I’m very happy with what I’m doing. I’m only 35. There’s a lot still to come.”
One day or another, however, Oliveira will have to confront a harsh reality: Father Time always wins. This next step of his only magnifies the threat that it poses to his fighting future.
Fiziev has had a rather frustrating stretch in the Octagon lately. He is coming off his first win in three years – a unanimous decision over Ignacio Bahamondes that he badly needed.
It is still a far cry from when he went on a six-win streak, highlighted by a main-event knockout of former champion Rafael dos Anjos. That set him up for a major opportunity against another former (interim) champion in Justin Gaethje – win, and he might have the next title shot.
What followed was a three-fight skid, with two losses to Gaethje sandwiching a horrible knee injury that occurred against Mateusz Gamrot. It finally ended with the aforementioned win against Bahamondes, and he is now hungry to jump the queue and set himself up for a title shot.
That opportunity will come against Oliveira, who is eager to rebound from what is arguably the most devastating defeat of his career. He arguably had other safer ways to do so, because Fiziev is a man on a mission and will not stop until he has accomplished it. If Dos Anjos is not a cautionary tale, then how will his compatriot learn?
Speaking of mid-fight injuries, Oliveira could have pivoted towards someone who technically beat him, but did not truly earn that win – Max Holloway.
The two had fought in 2015, back when they were featherweights. It ended very anticlimactically when Oliveira tore something in his neck. It did not require surgery, but it left fans wanting more.
“More” is here. Even with his well-documented tensions with president Dana White, Arman Tsarukyan still deserves the first shot at Ilia Topuria. In the meantime, Holloway can validate his claims by definitively defeating an old foe – or Oliveira can prove that their first meeting was a fluke.
Another better option would have been rematching Justin Gaethje. It has been over three years since they met, and “The Highlight” has been looking for one last crack at the title. If Oliveira can repeat against him, then his own chances of a rematch may increase, though not by much given the lopsided nature of his loss to Topuria.
Olivera is risking a massive drop by taking a fight against someone way below him. Fiziev has been seeking another top highlight, and he is sensing that another former champion coming off a devastating stoppage loss is the best way to do so.
If Oliveira wants to continue dispelling all those retirement rumors, then he needs a decisive win. Anything less than that, especially another loss, will only strengthen them.
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