Charles Oliveira would have liked Justin Gaethje to keep the same trash-talking energy when the two came face to face backstage at UFC 269.
Heading into UFC 269, Gaethje did not like Oliveira’s chances in his UFC 269 title defense against Dustin Poirier. Frankly put, he believed Oliveira was someone who had “too much quit in him” to be recognized as champion until he proved him wrong by beating a dog like Poirier.
And that he did.
Charles Oliveira surprised quite a few people with his impressive performance at UFC 269, not just because he won, but the way he did it: toughness, resilience, and yes, a refusal to quit.
Following the fight, Gaethje had no problem walking back his words in light of the new evidence he had just been presented with. He admitted that the Oliveira he saw in that Octagon was, in fact, a true competitor with championship resolve. He even had the opportunity to share that respect with the champion backstage.
Oliveira was courteous and receptive to Gaethje’s gesture, but apparently, he was wondering inside his head who this man was and what he did to the trash-talking American leading into the event.
To further confuse the champion, he says Gaethje’s remarks after their run-in switched up yet again, solidifying his view that Gaethje is duplicitous.
“The guy is talking a bunch of crap the entire time, and when we meet face-to-face he says he has all the respect for me and what I do — and two minutes later he’s saying he’ll break my face and saying a bunch of stuff,” Oliveira told MMA Fighting.
“These guys hype things up and try to sell the fight with something they are not. If you’re a humble guy, if you’re a respectful guy, you have to sell the fight that way. If you’re a guy that talks crap, you have to sell the fight talking crap the entire time — to my face and behind my back.”
Justin Gaethje Responds To Oliveira’s Remarks
Shortly after Oliveira’s remarks became public, Justin Gaethje took to Twitter to offer the following response:
“@CharlesDoBronxs it’s called respect you fool and we are in the breaking faces business. My respect that night was just as real as my intention to take everything from you in your country @ufc#uhvaimorrer“
The closing hashtag of the above tweet translates to “You’re going to die” in Portuguese, a chant commonly associated with Brazilian fans towards foreign fighters.
In 2022, these two lightweights will have an opportunity to settle their differences and most likely exchange some very real respect between one another afterward. Dana White has confirmed that Gaethje is next up for a title shot. And even though Oliveira has openly stated he’d rather be fighting Conor McGregor, he also says he will not stand in the way of the Gaethje matchup the UFC currently has planned.
What do you make of this exchange between Charles Oliveira and Justin Gaethje?
