Charles Oliveira, the former UFC lightweight champion, is one of the best lightweight fighters ever to compete in the promotion. Initially thought of as a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu specialist, Oliveira improved significantly in the striking department after he moved up to lightweight.
From the favelas to the UFC octagon, Oliveira always stays close to his roots as evidenced by the nickname he has – “Do Bronx”. To know the man inside the cage, one has to know the meaning of his nickname.
What does Charles Oliveira’s nickname “Do Bronx” mean?
The English translation for the word “Do Bronx” is “From the Bronx”. The Bronx is one of the five boroughs in the city of New York. However, in Brazil, the term is used to describe poor neighborhoods or favelas.
Therefore, the ideal translation of the word is “From the Streets” or “From the Favelas”. Charles Oliveira has never forgotten where he came from as he always can be heard saying the term “Do Bronx” before and after the fights.
An emotional Charles Oliveira describes the meaning of “Do Bronx”
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) April 10, 2024
“A kid who came from nothing, from the bottom, from the favelas, disparaged. If God were to take me today, I would die very happy.
For all that I have, for all that I provided my parents. That’s what “Do Bronx”… pic.twitter.com/YHftKFVlJE
Moreover, his recent meltdown when describing his childhood in the favelas is a testament to the impact of the place and nickname he has in his life. Oliveira spoke very emotionally about his journey from poverty to riches per SportsRush.
For Oliveira, “Do Bronx” means much more than what outsiders can comprehend. For the former lightweight champion, it is family, it is god, and it is everything. He firmly believes that he has done what his nickname means and will die a happy man. He also had an amazing career in the UFC in his 14-year career with several records to his name.
Taking a closer look at Charles Oliviera’s UFC career
Charles Olivera made his UFC debut as a 20-year-old with an undefeated record in 12 fights, 11 of those via finish. In his first 5 lightweight fights in the UFC, he sported a record of 2 wins, 2 losses, and 1 No Contest. Oliveira won his UFC debut via submission against Darren Elkins but lost to Jim Miller and Donald Cerrone in his 3rd and 5th fights respectively.
The loss to Cerrone made him move down to featherweight where had problems with making weight. At featherweight, Oliveira sported a record of 7-5. The Brazilian missed weight three times at featherweight the only notable victory being against Jeremy Stephens in a fight he missed weight.
Charles Oliveira’s notable losses at featherweight were against Cub Swanson, Frankie Edgar, Max Hollway, Anthony ‘Showtime’ Pettis, and Ricard Lamas. After the loss to Lamas, Oliveira moved up to lightweight and defeated Will Brooks via submission and earned a Performance of the Night bonus.
Days after his victory, Charles Oliveira became the father for the first time to a girl. However, Oliveira would lose his subsequent bout to Paul Felder in December. Nonetheless, his daughter, as revealed by him would give him motivation to succeed.
After the loss to Felder, Oliveira went on an 11-fight winning streak that saw him become the undisputed UFC lightweight champion. In that span, he defeated the likes of Kevin Lee, Jim Miller, Tony Ferguson, Michael Chandler, Dustin Poirier, and Justin Gaethje.
Islam Makhachev would break the streak at UFC 294 but Oliveira rebounded with a first-round finish of Beneil Dariush at UFC 289. With numerous records to his name, Oliveira is indeed a UFC Hall of Famer in the modern wing after his retirement.
What do you think of Charles Oliveira’s UFC resume? Leave your thoughts about it below!
