The stage was set at UFC 300 to crown the next lightweight contender. As Bruce Buffer’s voice echoed through the arena, Charles Oliveira and Arman Tsarukyan locked eyes from across the Octagon, both hungry for a shot at the 155 lbs gold. For three electrifying rounds, Tsarukyan and ‘Do Bronx’ waged war—slick submission attempts, thunderous kicks, and relentless takedown battles. When the final bell rang, it was Tsarukyan who seized victory, by a razor-thin margin. A year later, Joe Rogan would beg to differ.
While conversing with Darryl Cooper, the host of the ‘Martyr Made’ podcast, Joe Rogan emphasized that Charles Oliveira might have won the fight against Arman Tsarukyan. During their discussion on the effectiveness of jiu-jitsu in MMA, the multi-million-dollar podcaster cited the Tsarukyan vs. Oliveira bout as an example to highlight that submission attempts do not always earn enough points. “Look at the Arman Tsarukyan fight—if you think about that fight with Charles Oliveira. He caught him multiple times in deep submissions, which I think should count for a lot,” said Rogan.
He further added, “If I looked at who won that fight, I would say Oliveira won that fight. Oliveira had him in deep trouble. It was kind of a controversial opinion, but I think a tightly locked triangle, a D’arce choke, or anything along those lines should be considered winning. You’re doing something very difficult to do—your opponent doesn’t want it to happen. You’ve dominated a position to the point where you’ve secured a submission, and then this guy sneaks out with sweat, technique, and grit. But he was in deep, deep trouble.”
June 11, 2023, Vancouver, Vancouver, BC, Canada: VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA – JUN 10: Charles Oliveira prepares to fight Beneil Dariush during the UFC 289 event at Rogers Arena on Jun 10, 2023 in Vancouver, British Columbia. Vancouver Canada – ZUMAp175 20230611_zsa_p175_038 Copyright: xTomazxJrx
In the initial rounds, Charles Oliveira caught Arman Tsarukyan in a guillotine choke. However, Tsarukyan managed to escape, thanks to his shorts slipping, which hindered Oliveira’s grip strength. The Brazilian had not locked his legs in the much more secure figure-4, and instead just locked his feet around Arman’s hips. Later on, Arman Tsarukyan did give a hard time to the Brazilian former champion visibly hurting him multiple times. However, ‘Do Bronx’ did have the Armenian fighter in his clutches.
In the final round, Charles Oliveira threw a D’Arce choke attempt to submit Tsarukyan. It was a perfect attempt from the Brazilian as ‘Ahalkalakets’ was completely trapped in it, however, even before he could sleep his opponent, the bell rang. After the defeat, Oliveira in his confession emphasized that he thought he choked Tsarukyan, “30 seconds [left], it was tight, one of the submissions I like the most, D’Arce choke,” Oliveira said. “I thought he went out, that’s why I had my tongue out, joking, you know? But I don’t know, it’s part of the game.”
Well, a year has passed since the fight and the dynamics of the game have changed drastically. So, what’s next for the former champion? It appears he is looking to take revenge for his losses.
Team Charles Oliveira demands high-profile fights from the UFC
After his defeat against Arman Tsarukyan, Charles Oliveira retuned to the Octagon to face Michael Chandler at UFC 309. In a high-octane battle between the lightweight stars, ‘Do Bronx’ clinched the victory by way of a unanimous decision. Since then, Oliveira has been asserting that he would clash for the title, and his team has come forward to reveal that the Brazilian would like to fight twice this year.
“If we don’t have the BMF or the title, I wouldn’t know if we would fight,” his head coach Diego Lima told Álvaro Colmenero. He further added, “Maybe Justin Gaethje, who had a great fight and sells a lot, or a new fight with Dustin Poirier, who sells a lot.” Charles Oliveira has already defeated both Gaethje and Poirier during his title run, and while a fight against either of them would bring significant pay-per-view revenue, it would bring the merit needed for a title shot.
Interestingly, there are rumors that the UFC is planning to test Charles Oliveira against Max Holloway in a rematch. Well, as of now, nothing can be said with utmost certainty but one thing is certain and that’s the fact that ‘Do Bronx’ is ready to roll.
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