Charles faces Felder next Saturday (02) (Photo: Reproduction/Facebook UFC)
Charles of the Bronx faces a real dilemma in Ultimate: forced by the organization to perform at lightweight (up to 77kg), the jiu-jitsu ace makes a point of highlighting that his preference is to beat the featherweight limit (up to 66kg). The next appointment, however, will still be in the top category: he comes in as a substitute for To the fifth in the duel against Paul felder next Saturday (02), in Detroit (USA), in the fight that closes the preliminary card of UFC 218.
In an exclusive interview to SUPER FIGHTS, Do Bronx, who already played as a lightweight at the beginning of his career in the organization, reveals that his goal is to return to the featherweight division in 2018, a division in which he guarantees that he will be able to win the belt.
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“I'm going to do the same thing I did. If God blesses, I will win this fight at 70kg and I will ask again to go down to 66kg, as my goal is to become champion. I always beat featherweight well. If the UFC gave me another opportunity to fight at 66kg, we would definitely make (the weight) right. I wouldn’t want to stay at lightweight, I’m not that heavy to weigh 70kg, people cut a lot more weight than I do”, declared the fighter.
The last time Charles stepped into the Octagon was also as a lightweight. In April of this year, he submitted the favorite Will Brooks in just over two minutes and recovered in the organization, breaking the bad streak of two defeats. The long period of inactivity, however, was not an option for the athlete, who had been asking for an opportunity in the UFC. When the invitation to face Felder came with just a month of preparation, he didn't hesitate to accept.
“I had been asking for a fight for a long time. The fight against Will Brooks was very tough, he came in as the favorite, everyone thought he was going to win, but thank God I managed to take him out for nothing and finished in two minutes, without taking a punch or kick. And now the opportunity has arisen to replace the To the fifth against Paul felder, so it's going to be a big fight on December 2nd. Let’s go to war”, said Do Bronx, who adopted a discreet speech when commenting on the qualities of his next rival.
“He (Felder) is a guy who moves forward, likes to do a lot of rotating (blows), moves a lot... but it's like I've always said, up there (in the octagon) the fight will be the same, I'll work on my striking and my jiu-jitsu to be 100% in the fight and, God willing, come away with victory.”
The victory against Brooks and Charles' fresh start in the UFC are in line with the changes made in pre-fight preparations. Used to training at Charles Oliveira Gold Team, in Guarujá, Do Bronx decided to join the Chute Boxe Diego Lima gym, in São Paulo, which has other UFC fighters, such as Thomas almeida e Felipe Sertanejo.
“I changed practically everything from the last fights to now. In the past, I trained almost everything here in Guarujá (SP), and today I only continue with Jorge Patino Macaco, from the Gold Team, and Kennedy, who is my physical trainer. I moved to Chute Boxe Diego Lima (in São Paulo), where I had trained in the past, but only a few times. My training camp for the fight with Will Brooks was done there. (…) I trained muay thai, wrestler, everything at Chute Boxe. Wrestler training with (William) Naim, muay thai and MMA with Diego Lima, jiu-jitsu with Barbosa, physical conditioning with Kennedy, together with Macaco, and we managed to put together a gigantic team”, he concluded.
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