Charles Oliveira looks sharp in new training footage as odds slash ahead of UFC 300 fight with Arman Tsarukyan
Former undisputed lightweight champion, Charles Oliveira has been sharp and on-point ahead of his UFC 300 title-eliminator against Arman Tsarukyan next month, with the Brazilian receiving plaudits for his striking prowess in new training footage released.
Oliveira, the current number one ranked lightweight contender, has been out of action since last June, successfully returning to the winner’s enclosure with an emphatic win over common-foe, Beneil Dariush with a first round ground strikes TKO win.
And as for Armenian contender, Tsarukyan, the surging contender himself turned in a similarly blistering win over Iranian veteran, Dariush in his last walk, atop a UFC Fight Night Austin card in December.
Charles Oliveira prepares for UFC 300 return
Both opening and remaining a notable betting underdog to beat Tsarukyan next month on the main card of UFC 300, Oliveira is closing the distance with the bookies – with the promotion set to return to ‘Sin City’ for its next pay-per-view card in Las Vegas in the form of the massive spectacle in Nevada.
Seeing a division-best unbeaten run come to a staggering end back in October of 2022, Charles Oliveira was submitted by current champion, Islam Makhachev in the pair’s long-anticipated vacant title fight, succumbing to a second round arm-triangle choke submission loss.
And slated to fight his Russian rival a year later at UFC 294 last annum, just weeks out from the bout, the Sao Paulo finisher was forced to withdraw after he suffered a notable laceration on his right eyebrow during a sparring session.
With his loss to Makhachev, Charles Oliveira’s stunning finishing streak in championship fights also came to an end, following a knockout win over Michael Chandler, as well as a pair of back-to-back submissions of former interim titleholding duo, Dustin Poirier, and Justin Gaethje.
Maintaining his confidence in beating Charles Oliveira and earning his own respective rematch with Makhachev later this yeat – who himself is welcoming the chance to fight Poirier in a June comeback, Tsarukyan claimed the Brazilian was not overly “special”.
“Charles (Oliveira) is good at one thing: taking his opponent’s back and choking him out from that position,” Arman Tsarukayn said. “He has long limbs, so he’s good at taking the back, locking the triangle, and finishing the submission. But overall, he’s nothing special.”
“He has some tricks when pulling guard, but nothing extraordinary,” Arman Tsarukyan explained. “He’s got a great back-mount game where he chokes everybody out. This morning, we worked on these types of situations – what I should do if I get caught in that position. We’re working on it, but we shouldn’t let this happen in the fight.”
However, in new training footage on the pads this week, Charles Oliveira – who is yet to bleach his head traditionally ahead of his fighting return at UFC 300, appears to be in razor-sharp condition and has turned up his ever-evolving striking arsenal once more under the watchful eye of Chute Boxe coach, Diego Lima – who has guided the promotion’s most prolific finisher to lightweight spoils previously with aplomb.
