Becoming Mythical Fighter ‘Blonde Charles Oliveira’ is Causing ‘Baldness’, Admits UFC Superstar

Former UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira reveals how his signature blonde hairstyle has affected his hair health.

Becoming Mythical Fighter ‘Blonde Charles Oliveira’ is Causing ‘Baldness’, Admits UFC Superstar

Charles Oliveira gets candid about his hair (via MMA Mania)

In Short
  • Charles Oliveira admits his ritual of dyeing his hair blonde before fights is causing hair loss.
  • He is set to face Max Holloway at UFC 326, aiming to avenge their 2015 injury loss.
  • Oliveira's coach highlights the mysterious nature of his 2015 injury, which remains unresolved.

Charles Oliveira remains one of the most popular fighters on the current UFC roster, backed by a global following built over a decade inside the promotion. After debuting in 2010, he rebounded from early setbacks to assemble a dominant eleven-fight win streak that propelled him into title contention and elevated his profile. He recently addressed how his signature blond hairstyle is affecting his hair health.

Oliveira first appeared with bleached blond hair ahead of his March 2020 win over Kevin Lee at UFC Brazil, beginning the ritual during the week leading up to the fight. He kept the look during his lightweight surge, including his title victory against Michael Chandler at UFC 262 and his title defense against Dustin Poirier at UFC 269. The dyed hair has remained part of his preparation ever since.

Oliveira is scheduled to face BMF champion Max Holloway at UFC 326 in another high-profile lightweight bout this year. His preparation has been documented on social media and episodes of UFC Embedded, where he is typically seen training with his natural brunette hair. Days before the event, he was again shown bleaching his hair blond, confirming he will not abandon the ritual despite the damage to his hair.

This is making me go bald. It all started as a joke, and now people put pressure on me, sending messages by asking if we’re going to bleach the hair. So here we are doing it again. We’re already in the zone, the hair is the key. After I have my hair bleached, it’s over. There’s nowhere left to run. It’s going to be a war.

Charles Oliveira via UFC

Many observers have likened Oliveira’s blond-haired persona to a “Super Saiyan” transformation from the popular cartoon Dragon Ball Z. The comparison highlights the visual similarity between his platinum hair and the animated power-up form in the series. The look has become closely tied to ‘Do Bronx’, further boosting his popularity and reinforcing his status as one of the UFC’s most recognizable fighters today.

While Oliveira has maintained his blond hairstyle since losing the lightweight title to Islam Makhachev at UFC 280, he has experienced a rocky stretch in the Octagon over the past few years. He suffered a loss to Arman Tsarukyan at UFC 300 and a brutal knockout defeat to Ilia Topuria at UFC 317. However, the Brazilian star quickly rebounded with a submission win over Mateusz Gamrot at UFC Rio in October 2025.

The upcoming BMF title fight against Max Holloway carries significant stakes for Oliveira, offering a chance to avenge their 2015 clash that ended in an injury loss for ‘Do Bronx.’ This rematch represents both a career milestone and an opportunity to reassert himself among the division. However, it remains to be seen whether the iconic blond-haired version of Charles Oliveira will play a decisive role in the outcome.

Charles Oliveira’s coach weighs in on what went wrong against Max Holloway back in 2015

Charles Oliveira’s 2015 injury against Max Holloway at UFC Fight Night 74 has remained unresolved for over ten years. During the bout, Oliveira suffered a sudden and unexplained physical issue early in the fight that forced the contest to stop and required hospitalization. Officials reported a micro-tear in his esophagus, but the exact cause was never definitively determined by medical professionals.

Charles Oliveira and Diego Lima
Charles Oliveira and Diego Lima (via BJ Penn)

Diego Lima has been a central figure in Oliveira’s career, guiding him from early setbacks in the UFC to becoming a lightweight champion. His insight into Oliveira’s preparation and mindset has been critical in both victories and comebacks, making him one of the most trusted voices in Oliveira’s corner. Recently, Lima addressed the mysterious 2015 injury, shedding light on its impact and lingering questions.

It was all very strange. Really crazy how it happened. So much so that even today nobody knows what actually happened. The hospital wouldn’t let him leave or return to Brazil because they couldn’t detect exactly what the problem was, he still had that paralysis. It was something very serious that no one ever figured out. It was very scary precisely because of that. If we know what it is, we treat it. But since no one knew exactly what it was, there was nothing to treat. He stayed hospitalized, and the hospital didn’t want to release him at all because he wasn’t improving.

Diego Lima via MMA Fighting

In the lead-up to UFC 326, Charles Oliveira acknowledged that the 2015 injury contributed to his loss in the first meeting with Max Holloway. He has credited the unexpected physical setback as a key factor in the outcome, framing it as part of the reason he fell short. However, Holloway recently pushed back against this perspective, urging Oliveira to focus on their rematch rather than dwelling on past events.

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