Athletes
Charles Oliveira Looks To Keep His Brazilian Record Perfect
Former Lightweight Champion Charles Oliveira Competes In Brazil For The First Time In Five Years At UFC Fight Night: Oliveira vs Gamrot
There might not be a fighter with a higher combined approval rating between fans and peers than Charles Oliveira. The beloved former lightweight champion transformed himself from someone with a reputation for withering when faced with adversity to an all-time great whose championship run included several come-from-behind victories.
He captured hearts around the world, but he embraced no role more enthusiastically than the one that cemented him among the greatest Brazilians to grace the Octagon. From the Gracies to Anderson Silva to José Aldo and several others in between, Oliveira’s name belongs on the pantheon of the greatest to hail from the South American MMA hotbed, a fitting honor for a man whose moniker, “Do Bronxs,” represents where he was made.
UFC RIO: Fight By Fight Preview | Charles Oliveira's Best Finishes | Rise Of Vicente Luque
With the UFC Hall of Fame certainly in his future whenever he decides to call it a career, Oliveira returns to Brazil for the first time since he went on his legendary sprint to UFC gold. His main event bout against Mateusz Gamrot represents not only the first time he has fought in his homeland since March 2020, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it is also the first time he’ll fight in front of a Brazilian crowd since November 2019.
Before the 35-year-old makes what should be an epic walk to the Octagon on October 11, let’s take a look at the previous six times he fought in Brazil:
UFC Fight Night: Machida vs Mousasi — February 15, 2014
Submission Win (triangle choke) over Andy Ogle
Curiously, Oliveira didn’t fight in Brazil until his 10th trip to the Octagon. With four years in the promotion under his belt, Oliveira looked to bounce back after suffering back-to-back losses to Cub Swanson and Frankie Edgar. The then 24-year-old sought consistency, and it seemed like he found it against Ogle.
Midway through the third round, Oliveira locked in a triangle choke to earn the submission win (his fifth consecutive win via tapout) as well as his sixth Performance Bonus. The victory would kick off a winning streak that would last more than a year.
UFC Fight Night: Condit vs Alves — May 30, 2015
Submission Win (guillotine choke) over Nik Lentz
Returning a year later to fight in Goiânia, Oliveira fought Nik Lentz for the second time in what would become an unlikely trilogy between the two. Their first fight ended prematurely when Oliveira’s submission win over Lentz in June 2011 was overturned due to an illegal knee. Four years later, they went back to war and picked up another Fight of the Night bonus.
While the bout went back and forth, Oliveira found the guillotine finish early in the third round to also pick up a Performance Bonus and stretch his winning streak to four.
UFC Fight Night: Santos vs Anders — September 22, 2018
Submission Win (rear-naked choke) over Christios Giagos
Fighting in his hometown of São Paulo for the first time under the UFC banner, Oliveira promptly made history with his win over Christos Giagos.
Three years since his last trip to Brazil and now competing in the lightweight division, Oliveira entered the night having gone 2-1 in his new division. He also entered the night tied for the most submission wins in UFC history. Oliveira came out like a man on a mission, and midway through the second round, he found the RNC finish (tallying another Performance Bonus as well). He and the crowd went nuts as they collectively celebrated their record-breaking hometown hero.
UFC Fight Night: Assunção vs. Moraes 2 — February 2, 2019
Submission Win (anaconda choke) over David Teymur
After a standout 2018 which included submission wins over Clay Guida, Christos Giagos and Jim Miller (all earning Performance Bonuses), Oliveira returned to Brazil with some major momentum.
Facing David Teymur in Fortaleza, Oliveira recovered from an eye poke in the first round to put on a dominant performance. Although Oliveira’s standup was noticeably improving, jiu jitsu remained his signature dish, and he found the anaconda choke submission inside a minute of the second round. The submission, his fourth in a row, earned him yet another Performance Bonus, and it seemed like he could play a real factor at 155 pounds.
UFC Fight Night: Błachowicz vs Jacaré — November 16, 2019
Knockout Win (punches) over Jared Gordon
Returning to São Paulo for the second time in as many years, Oliveira put the lightweight division on notice with his knockout win over Jared Gordon.
Six months after ending his trilogy with Lentz via a rocket of a right hand (his first knockout win in the Octagon), Oliveira showed off his standup skills once again against the New Yorker. Less than 90 seconds into the fight, Oliveira rocked Gordon with an overhand right before putting him out with an uppercut. The finish marked two knockouts in as many fights for the jiu-jitsu ace, and it seemed like a matter of time before Oliveira started challenging for a spot in the title picture.
UFC Fight Night: Oliveira vs Lee — March 14, 2020
Submission Win (guillotine choke) over Kevin Lee
Fighting in an empty arena due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Oliveira headlined in Brazil for the first and (until October 11) only time in his career. In Brasilia, Oliveira faced former interim lightweight title challenger Kevin Lee, and all signs pointed toward a marquee matchup for “Do Bronxs” if he could get it done against the talented American.
After a couple of close rounds, Oliveira took advantage of a sloppy takedown attempt from Lee, locking in the guillotine and putting him momentarily to sleep. The submission win was Oliveira’s seventh in a row (all finishes) and would set him up for a fight against Ferguson. Oliveira would win that fight, earning him a shot at the vacant lightweight title against Michael Chandler.
From there, we all know what happened.
UFC Fight Night: Oliveira vs Gamrot took place live from Farmasi Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on October 11, 2025. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!
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