Charles Oliveira is heading into UFC 317 radiating self-assurance.
Oliveira is set to clash with former featherweight champion Ilia Topuria for the vacant lightweight title in the highly anticipated main event of UFC 317, taking place Saturday night at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The former UFC lightweight champion holds records for the most finishes (20), submissions (16), and performance bonuses (20) in promotional history. Yet despite his accolades, he enters UFC 317 as a significant betting underdog. Still, the stats and the doubt seem to have no impact on Charles Oliveira’s unwavering confidence or championship mindset.
Charles Oliveira Expresses Faith In His Skills Ahead Of UFC 317
During a media scrum ahead of his UFC 317 title clash with Ilia Topuria, Charles Oliveira opened up about his mental resilience heading into the high-stakes showdown. “Do Bronx” made it clear that, even in the face of adversity and lingering doubt from critics, he’s on a mission to prove his hunger burns as strong as ever and that he’s still fully capable of reclaiming UFC gold.
“I haven’t been worried about my opponent for a long time.” Oliveira said. “I’m focused on what I can bring to the cage. I want to be free, prepared, thirsty, aggressive, and daring. That’s how I feel. When I go in there, I feel dangerous, I feel daring, I can take the game up and always be aggressive… No one will ever hit me harder than life has hit me. So what these guys say, what they think, it doesn’t matter to me.”
The 35-year-old Brazilian last stepped into the Octagon at UFC 309 this past November, where he delivered a commanding unanimous decision victory in a rematch against Michael Chandler. “Do Bronx” currently holds a UFC record of 23-10 (1 NC) and has suffered just two defeats in his last 15 outings.
