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UFC lightweight Charles 'Do Bronx' Oliveira wants to validate his ambition to win the division's belt. Defeating Tony Ferguson at UFC 256 is the best chance he has to reach his objective.
The Brazilian fighter, who has a record of 17 wins and eight losses in the UFC, is currently enjoying a streak of seven wins. The next fight against the former interim UFC lightweight champion will be Oliveira's perfect challenge to prove he belongs on the top.
"I'm happy for this opportunity to fight Ferguson. I'm taking this fight on less than 20 days' notice, but it's a chance to display my talent and show I'm ready to fight any Top 5 ranked guy like I've been saying for a while now. The time has come. I will shock the world on December 12th."
Ferguson, a fan-favorite, has consistently been at the top of the category over the past decade. He has won 15 times and only been defeated twice in the UFC.
While their records are impressive, they don't tell the full story. Oliveira and Ferguson have in their style of fighting another element to sauce up the encounter.
Between the two, there are 28 UFC 'Fight of the Night' bonuses. From the last seven wins of the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu master, Oliveira got the 'Performance of the Night' award on six occasions.
It's the first time in UFC's history that there are these many 'Fight of the Night' bonuses together in one fight. Oliveira acknowledges the qualities of his opponent and expects nothing more than a war at the Octagon.
"I'm expecting this fight to be a war because we're both good on the feet and on the ground. We both like to fight; we both move forward. Fans can be sure this will be a war, but they can also be sure that when it's done, my arm will be raised. It's my moment. I respect Ferguson in every way – he's tough, a fantastic guy – but now it's my time."
Oliveira and Ferguson was not the original plan for the UFC 256
Tony 'El Cucuy' Ferguson was initially set to be the adversary for Michael Chandler UFC's debut.
Chandler, who just joined the promotion from Bellator, decided to make himself unavailable for the fight since he had to lose weight to act as the back-up fighter for Khabib Nurmagomedov's last fight against Justin Gaethje.
It may not be what Ferguson wanted, but it suited Oliveira perfectly. No. 6 in the UFC lightweight rankings, Oliveira has been requesting a fight against his category's top contenders for years.
Now 'Do Bronx' will have the chance to show he deserves the spot he has been claiming for so long.
"The time has come. I will shock the world on December 12th," Oliveira said.
