Charles Oliveira: The End of the Line or One More Run?

The End of the Line or One More Run?

This weekend in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Charles “Do Bronx” Oliveira will once again be facing a difficult challenge as he squares off against a hungry contender in Mateusz Gamrot. But he won’t just be fighting Gamrot, he’ll be battling critics, doubt, and the creeping feeling that his magic might be fading. This is a challenge “Do Bronx” knows all too well. This weekend we’ll find out if “Do Bronx” has one more run left in him, or if we’re witnessing the closing chapter of one of MMA’s most inspiring careers. 

Charles Oliveira entered the UFC in 2010 at just 20 years old, winning his first two fights by submission, a preview of what would come. The next few years were rocky: win two, lose two, win four, lose again. His inconsistency earned him an unfair label, a fighter who “gave up.”

Then in 2018, a spark began to ignite that would build into a blinding flame as Oliveira went on an 11-fight win streak, avenging old losses, capturing the lightweight title, and setting the record for most submission wins in UFC history. From 2020 to 2022, Charles Oliveira would become one of the biggest stars in the UFC. 

His first title match against Michael Chandler in 2020 was the perfect analogy for his career. He dominated early, faced near disaster when Chandler dropped him, then stormed back in round two to score a TKO within 20 seconds, finally claiming the lightweight crown.

Despite being on a nine fight win streak, Oliveira entered his next title defense against Dustin Poirier as the underdog (+115). Once again, Oliveira was dropped early. He rallied and submitted Poirier in round three with a standing rear naked choke. He repeated that story against Justin Gaethje, dropped twice in round one before dropping Gaethje himself and finishing with another rear naked choke. It marked his 11th straight win, though it wouldn’t count as a title defense due to a half-pound weight miss.

Then everything came crashing down when Oliveira lost his title to Islam Makhachev. He later rebounded with a knockout win over Beneil Dariush, earning a rematch with Makhachev. However, an untimely injury forced him to withdraw from their fight, sparking old whispers that he’d lost his fire. He returned at UFC 300 against Arman Tsarukyan for the number one contender spot, nearly pulling off submissions in a razor-close fight that went Tsarukyan’s way on the judge’s scorecards. Tsarukyan would earn a title shot against Makhachev but fell out of favor with the UFC after withdrawing from the bout on short notice. Makhachev later moved on to welterweight, leaving the 155lb title vacant. 

Oliveira stepped up again, defeating Michael Chandler and earning a crack at the 155lb belt against Ilia Topuria. Unfortunately, Topuria ended that dream with a first-round KO.

That was four months ago. Now, he faces Mateusz Gamrot, a powerful grappler with a suffocating style and key wins over fighters like Tsarukyan and Rafael Fiziev. While not known for knockout power, Gamrot is relentless, and well-rounded. He has a pace and control that wears opponents down. Though stepping in on short notice, he was already in camp for a November fight. He’ll be ready, eager to prove himself against a star like Oliveira.

I’ll be honest, Charles Oliveira is one of my favorite fighters. Not just because of the violence or the records, but because of what he represents: persistence, growth, belief in yourself. It’s easy to bet against him. He’s taken damage. He’s been counted out. Again and again. But somehow, he keeps coming back.

Maybe this isn’t the start of another title run. Maybe the BMF belt is a more realistic target. Maybe this is just one more battle in a career full of wars. But if Oliveira can extend the magic just a little longer, if we get to see his hand raised in front of his home crowd, that’s something worth showing up for.

Because with Charles Oliveira, you never know if you're watching the last chapter, or the start of a new one.