WATCH: Taming the beast! Charles Oliveira walks A LION heading into the fight against Islam Makhachev
Follow Us
Charles Oliveira (in white) walks a lion.
Charles Oliviera has a chance to prove his naysayers wrong at UFC 280 this coming week, and he aims to do just that.
After spending five to six weeks in gruelling fight camp, fighters usually spend the week leading up to the bout partaking in relaxation activities and training that is exceptionally light. The goal is to relax the mind and the body, to achieve peak condition heading into fight night.
From a video published online, Charles Oliveira seems to be enjoying an unconventional activity to let his mind and body recover. We can all agree that animals are cute – us spending time with them only goes to release stress and toxins. However, It looks like Charles Oliveira has a different idea of “cute”, heading into the much-anticipated championship bout against Russian Islam Makhachev.
In the video, Oliveira can be seen walking a lion, albeit leashed, in a green compound. With a smile on his face, “Do Bronx” walks the ferocious animal, while a man next to him says, “The champion’s here!”
That is quite possibly, the best way to announce one’s arrival. If Makachev was doubting Oliveira’s arrival to the United Arab Emirates to fight him, he can be assured of it now.
Charles Oliveira can finally regain his belt if he beats Islam Makhachev
For fight fans who do not know, Charles Oliveira is not the lightweight champion of the world. This comes converse to the fact that he won the vacant belt against Michael Chandler at UFC 262, then defeated Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje.
While it is true that he defended the lightweight belt for the first time against star Dustin Poirier, he did not defend the title against Gaethje. In fact, only the American could emerge as champion from that bout.
The reason for that is that, on the preceding Thursday, Charles Oliveira missed weight by a quarter of a pound, failing to make the 155-pound threshold. As a result, the Arizona State Boxing and Mixed Martial Arts Commission stripped the belt off him.
Despite the setback, Oliveira remained defiant and beat Justin Gaethje convincingly. Interestingly, despite him not being champion, the Brazilian goes into UFC 280 with champion PPV points distribution, as confirmed by UFC president Dana White.
Also Read- How many weight classes has Alexander Volkanovski competed in?
Now, Charles Oliveira gets the chance to become lightweight champion once again if he beats Islam Makhachev at UFC 280.
Stay Updated!
Udayan Mukherjee
(382 Articles Published)