UFC fans around the world are hurting. One of the most popular and beloved fighters of this generation, Charles Oliveira, fell short in his title bout vs. Ilia Topuria on UFC 317’s main event. This is not only a bitter pill to swallow, but puts his future in the division in serious doubts.
See, Charles Oliveira is not an up-and-coming prospect. He is a veteran who has been a champion already, but it seems his prime is ending. At 35 years old, this loss might mark the beginning of the end for one of the best fighters the UFC has ever seen.
Oliveira is 3-3 in his last six fights and losing to former champion Islam Makhachev, number one-ranked fighter in the division Arman Tsarukyan, and now-champ Ilia Topuria, Oliveira won’t sniff another title shot anytime soon. To make it worse, he was finished and outclassed twice in those losses.
How much is left in Oliveira’s tank?
When you look back at Oliveira’s career, you get amazed. He went from a nobody with potential but lacking character, to one of the most cherished fighters with multiple records in the UFC. The former lightweight champion also possess the most performance bonuses in UFC history (13), most post-fight bonuses in UFC history (20), most finishes in UFC history (20), most submission wins in UFC history (16), and the 2021 UFC award for Fan’s Choice Comeback of the Year.
He has a lot of mileage. It’s not only the scenario for him at 155, or the fact that he’s 35. Oliveira has 47 pro bouts and the Topuria knock out might leave him out of action for quite a while. He has no real options to get into the title mix. Also, being too small to fight at 170 and being too big to cut weight back to 145, you must wonder what’s left for Oliveira.
The Hall of Fame awaits
It’s uncertain if he will hang his gloves or not. However, when he does decide to call it a day, Oliveira is a first-ballot Hall of Famer. Being a former champ and having all those records make his case a no-brainer.
Oliveira is at a crossroads. We will have to wait and see what he, the doctors and the UFC say about his future. Right now, there are a lot of chess pieces in the lightweight division that will move. Maybe that clears Oliveira’s mind as to what’s next.