Charles Oliveira da Silva, 31, Charles do Bronx, will have his first title defense this Saturday (11) after becoming champion of the lightweights (up to 70.3 kg) of the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship). His challenger, however, is the American Dustin Poirier, 32, the favorite to win the fight in bookmakers.
Even after reaching the unprecedented title in May, after beating the American Michael Chandler, the Brazilian is still considered an underdog in the category. The condition, however, is not something that bothers him. On the contrary. It’s part of your motivation.
“This fight will confirm that Charles is the true champion, that Charles deserves to be there,” said the fighter to leaf. “When everyone thinks Charles is an underdog, I’m going in [no octógono] happy. I was born to fight, what I know how to do is fight. You want to see a show, so put me inside the grid.”
The champion will return to the Octagon in Las Vegas, USA, where UFC 269 takes place. The main card, in which Brazilian Amanda Nunes will defend her bantamweight belt (up to 61.2 kg), starts at midnight (in Brasília ), from Saturday (11) to Sunday — the Combate channel broadcasts the event.
Born in Guarujá, the São Paulo native exudes confidence in each of his phrases, although he likes to say that he maintains “humility and his feet on the ground” after winning the title.
He acknowledges, however, that his life has changed since his victory over Chandler. “Everything has changed. Now we have more followers, everywhere we go, people stop and want to take photos. We have more sponsors. I’m very happy with everything that’s been happening,” he said.
In fact, after becoming champion, São Paulo gained greater recognition from the Brazilian public. In this regard, the partnerships he sought also make a difference, such as one signed in November with Corinthians, his favorite team, for which he became an ambassador.
According to the club, the fighter will have a prominent role in promoting fights and also in building business opportunities that may involve product licensing and promotion of events.
Do Bronx’s strategy is similar to Anderson Silva, one of the greatest UFC legends. Since 2011, the former middleweight champion (up to 83.9 kg) has always maintained several partnerships with the club of which he declares himself a fan. Currently, he manages an MMA academy inside Neo Química Arena.
“I’m really a Corinthians fan. I’m not a Corinthians fan. I’ve been a Corinthians fan since I understand myself by people. Each one has its own history, I’m Corinthians fans of those who live within the community, in the middle of Gaviões, cheering, vibrating, singing. I’m the one who cries. Each one has a trajectory, Anderson has his, I have mine”, says Charles, trying to differentiate himself from Spider, nickname of the former champion.
Asked what he meant by the expression “Corinthian bullets”, the champion dodged. “Each one is a Corinthians fan in a different way. I’m a Corinthians fan who wears the real shirt.”
Despite seeking to differentiate between himself and Silva, Charles admits that one of his goals is to become a UFC legend just as the former champion did.
“I joined the UFC to make history, to become one of the best in the world. That’s why I leave Guarujá for São Paulo every day to train four times a day.”
With this, he also hopes that he can accumulate greater financial assets. Despite being the owner of the lightweight belt, the São Paulo native is still far from the fortune accumulated by other big names in the franchise. Irishman Connor McGregor, for example, has earned more than US$ 15 million (R$ 63 million) in prize money alone at the biggest MMA event in the world.
“Companies want to be with the big names, with the big champions”, points out Charles, who is not thinking about leaving the country, especially Guarujá, even if he manages to become a millionaire, as other Brazilians did.
‘CLOSE TO THE FAVELA’
“I want to keep my origins, I like living in Guarujá, close to my family, close to the favela”, says the fighter, who grew up in Vicente de Carvalho, district of Guarujá, on the south coast of São Paulo, where he has spent since childhood. to be called the Do Bronx.
The bond with the community was strengthened over time, mainly due to the support he received from people close to him. Charles Oliveira took almost 11 years, since his debut in the UFC, in August 2010, to become a champion of the division, in May of this year. No one in the history of the world’s leading MMA event organizer took that long to win.
Each fight in the division, however, was like a title fight for the São Paulo guy. After all, as a child, he was diagnosed with rheumatic fever and heart murmur. “The doctor even told me that I wouldn’t even be able to play a ball. Today I’m a world champion.”
According to him, if that didn’t shake him at the time, it’s not labels like the underdog that will discourage him now. “Does anyone think that people saying that I can’t and that I won’t be [campeão] Are you going to shake me? I’ll come home with our belt,” he promised.
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