Charles Oliveira facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Charles Oliveira
Oliveira in 2021
Born	Charles Oliveira da Silva (1989-10-17) 17 October 1989 (age 35) Guarujá, São Paulo, Brazil
Nickname(s)	do Bronx
Height	5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
Weight	155 lb (70 kg)
Division	Featherweight (2012–2016) Lightweight (2008–2011, 2017–present) Welterweight (2008)
Reach	74 in (188 cm)
Fighting out of	São Paulo, Brazil
Team	Chute Boxe Academy Macaco Gold Team (2008–2018)
Trainer	Diego Lima
Rank	4th degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black prajied in Muay Thai
Years active	2008–present
Mixed martial arts record
Total	46
Wins	35
By knockout	10
By submission	21
By decision	4
Losses	10
By knockout	4
By submission	4
By decision	2
No contests	1

Charles Oliveira da Silva (born October 17, 1989) is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist. He is also a fourth-degree black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Oliveira currently competes in the Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He is a former UFC Lightweight Champion. As of April 2024, he is ranked #2 in the UFC lightweight division.

Oliveira started training Brazilian jiu-jitsu when he was young. He won many championships before moving into mixed martial arts (MMA) in 2007. Oliveira holds several UFC records. These include the most submission wins (16), most finishes (20), and most bonuses (20) in the organization's history.

Early Life and Training

Charles Oliveira was born on October 17, 1989, in a poor neighborhood called Vicente de Carvalho in Guarujá, Brazil. When he was 7, doctors said he had heart problems and couldn't play sports. His parents let him play anyway, and he got better over time.

At age 12, a neighbor introduced him to a Brazilian jiu-jitsu gym. The trainer, Roger Coelho, gave free classes to kids from low-income families. Charles's family helped pay for his training by selling snacks and recycled cardboard. He trained very hard and became a São Paulo champion just two months after starting jiu-jitsu.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Journey

Oliveira continued to excel in jiu-jitsu. In 2004, he won the São Paulo championship again. He also won the Copa Nação Jiu-Jitsu in 2005. By 2006, he had earned 16 medals.

In 2007, as a blue belt, he became a two-time CBJJE World Champion. The next year, as a purple belt, he won a silver medal and became the 2008 CBJJE South American Champion. He received all his belts up to brown from his first trainer, Roger Coelho.

By 2007, he began focusing more on MMA. He earned his black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu in 2010. In January 2020, Oliveira competed in a grappling match at SFT 20, winning by decision.

Mixed Martial Arts Career

Starting His MMA Path

Oliveira began his professional MMA career in Brazil in 2007. He quickly built an impressive record of 12 wins and no losses. Six of his wins were by knockout, and five were by submission. He even won multiple fights on the same night three times!

His first professional fight was in March 2008 at the Predador Fight Championship. He entered a one-night tournament where fighters had to win three times to become champion. Oliveira won all three fights, defeating his opponents by submission or TKO (technical knockout). This made him the Predador FC Welterweight Grand Prix Champion.

He then moved to the lightweight division. He continued his winning streak, submitting three opponents in a row. By January 2010, he was considered one of Brazil's top new fighters.

Joining the UFC

Oliveira signed with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) in 2010. He made a strong debut, winning his first two UFC fights by submission. Both wins earned him the Submission of the Night award. His first loss came in December 2010 against Jim Miller.

In 2011, a fight against Nik Lentz was declared a "no contest" after an illegal knee strike. Later that year, he lost to Donald Cerrone. After these fights, his team decided he should move down to the featherweight division.

Featherweight Success

Oliveira's move to featherweight in 2012 brought new success. He won his first fight in the division with a rare "calf slicer" submission. This was the first time this move had been used to finish a fight in UFC history. He continued to win, showing off his excellent grappling skills.

He faced tough opponents like Frankie Edgar in 2013, losing a close decision that earned both fighters Fight of the Night. In 2014, he started a new winning streak, earning "Performance of the Night" bonuses for his submission wins. He became the first fighter to finish Hatsu Hioki.

In 2015, he had an exciting rematch with Nik Lentz, winning by submission and earning both "Performance of the Night" and "Fight of the Night" bonuses. However, he faced a setback when he suffered an injury during a fight against Max Holloway.

Return to Lightweight and Championship Run

In 2017, Oliveira returned to the lightweight division. He quickly showed his dominance, winning against Will Brooks by submission and earning another "Performance of the Night" bonus.

In 2018, he joined a new gym, Chute Boxe Diego Lima. This helped him improve his striking skills. He then went on an incredible winning streak, breaking several UFC records. He surpassed Royce Gracie for the most submission wins in UFC history. He also set a new record for the most "Performance of the Night" awards.

Becoming UFC Lightweight Champion

Oliveira in 2020.

Oliveira's hard work paid off. In 2021, he fought Michael Chandler for the vacant UFC Lightweight Championship. Despite being knocked down in the first round, Oliveira came back strong. He won the fight by TKO in the second round, becoming the new champion. This win also broke the UFC record for most finishes.

He successfully defended his title against Dustin Poirier in December 2021. He submitted Poirier in the third round, earning his twelfth "Performance of the Night" bonus, which was a new company record.

Title Challenges and Records

In May 2022, Oliveira was set to defend his title against Justin Gaethje. However, Oliveira missed weight by a small amount. Because of this, he was officially stripped of his championship. Only Gaethje was eligible to win the title. This was the first time in UFC history a title was lost due to a weight miss. Despite this, Oliveira still won the fight by submission in the first round, showing his skill.

In October 2022, he fought Islam Makhachev for the vacant UFC Lightweight Championship but lost by submission.

Oliveira continued to fight top contenders. In June 2023, he won against Beneil Dariush by TKO, earning another "Performance of the Night" bonus. In April 2024, he faced Arman Tsarukyan in a close fight, losing by split decision. In November 2024, he had a rematch with Michael Chandler, winning by unanimous decision and earning a "Fight of the Night" award.

Personal Life

Charles Oliveira lives in Guarujá, Brazil, close to his old neighborhood. He often helps his community with charity work. He is a Christian. Oliveira used to be nearsighted and wore glasses. In 2022, he had eye surgery, and now his vision is "100 percent perfect."

Nickname "do Bronx"

Oliveira's nickname, "do Bronx," means "from the Bronx." In Brazil, "Bronx" is a slang term for poor neighborhoods or favelas. He explained that when he started fighting, people would say, "look at the guys from the Bronx." So, he decided to use "do Bronx" as his nickname.

Instructor Lineage

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

Kanō Jigorō → Mitsuyo Maeda → Carlos Gracie → Hélio Gracie → Rickson Gracie → Marcelo Behring → Waldomiro Perez → Jorge Patino → Charles Oliveira

Championships and Accomplishments

Brazilian jiu-jitsu

• CBJJE South American Champion (2008 purple belt)
• CBJJE World Champion (2007 blue belt)
• FPJJ São Paulo State Champion (2007 blue belt)
• 2nd place CBJJE World Cup (2008 purple belt)

Mixed martial arts

• Ultimate Fighting Championship
  • UFC Lightweight Championship (One time)
    • One successful title defense
  • Fight of the Night (Four times)
  • Performance of the Night (Thirteen times)
    • Most Performance of the Night bonuses in UFC history (13)
  • Submission of the Night (Three times)
    • Most Post-Fight bonuses in UFC history (20)
  • Most finishes in UFC history (20)
  • Most submission wins in UFC history (16)
    • Most submission wins in UFC Featherweight division history (6)
    • Most guillotine-choke submissions in UFC history (5)
    • Most anaconda-choke submissions in UFC history (3)
  • Tied for second most wins in UFC history (23)
  • Fourth longest win streak in UFC Lightweight division history (11)
• Predator FC
  • Welterweight Grand Prix Champion
• Daily Mirror
  • 2021 Fighter of the Year
• Sherdog.com
  • 2014 Submission of the Year
  • 2021 Fighter of the Year
• World MMA Awards
  • 2021 Comeback of the Year
  • 2022 Submission of the Year
• ESPY Award
  • 2022 Fighter of the Year
• ESPN
  • 2022 Submission of the Year

Mixed martial arts record

Amateur mixed martial arts record

Pay-per-view Bouts

Images for kids

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  Oliveira in 2021

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  Oliveira in 2020

See Also

In Spanish: Charles Oliveira para niños

• List of current UFC fighters
• List of male mixed martial artists
• List of UFC records