A glace through historical betting odds would show that Charles Oliveira wasn’t exactly an overwhelming favourite in many of the fights throughout his ongoing 11-fight win streak.
One by one, though, they have fallen. First came the likes of the veteran trio Clay Guida, Jim Miller and Nik Lentz (among others, of course), none of whom could survive into the third round with the Brazilian submission expert. The competition ticked upwards after that, but the same results followed.
Jared Gordon was knocked out. Kevin Lee was submitted, in what was the first of a five fight sequence which saw Oliveira destroy well-regarded competition like Tony Ferguson, Michael Chandler, Dustin Poirier and finally, last May, Justin Gaethje.
Oliveira went into that Gaethje fight week as the UFC lightweight champion but effectively lost the title on the scales due to a weigh-in mishap, but that proved to be no benefit for Gaethje who was clubbed to the canvas and submitted shortly after the three-minute mark of the first frame.
Oliveira will be looking for a similar outcome when he takes on Islam Makhachev for the vacant 155-pound title in Abu Dhabi next month, and see below for a reminder of what one of the most in-form fighters in the world looks like.
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