Brazilian fighting sensation Charles Oliveira put on a sterling performance on Saturday with a thrilling first-round submission victory over Justin Gaethje at UFC 274 in Phoenix.
Oliveira entered fight week as the UFC lightweight champion, but he was stripped of the title before the bout after failing to miss the 155-pound weight limit by four-tenths of a pound on Friday’s weigh-in.
However, it didn’t make a difference as Oliveira dropped Gaethje with a crisp right hand before subsequently locking a rear-naked choke that forced the American to tap.
“The champion’s name is Charles Oliveira. I made weight Thursday, and you took my belt away. I’m a problem for the entire division. I am the champion,” Oliveira said during the post-fight interview.
With the victory, the 32-year-old Oliveira extended his winning streak to 11 and improved to 32-8 (win-loss), while Gaethje dropped to 23-4. In a recent update, Oliveira is expected to compete for the vacant title in his next fight.
