Charles in photo by Carlos Ozório
Jon Jones bears the light heavyweight crown at 23 years of age. José Aldo Junior boasts the featherweight belt at 24. At 21, Charles de Oliveira will next month fight at UFC on Versus 4 with a record of 14 wins and a single loss.
Charles “do Bronx” has plenty of time to polish up the tools he needs to become yet another young title holder, specifically in the division Brazilians had the least hopes of winning: the lightweight division. Brazil’s “Sensei Sportv” television show traveled to Vicente de Carvalho on the outskirts of Guarujá, São Paulo state, and discovered how the nickname “do Bronx” came about. There the TV crew dropped in on the Bronx’s Gold Team brown belt and was graciously welcomed into the fighter’s home. The segment by Mario Filho clearly conveys the collective power of a family.
“My father and mother would collect cardboard to pay sign-up fees for me at championships. Once, my family held an Easter bingo so that I could fight abroad – and they only brought in enough money for a one-way ticket. I had to win, otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to pay the return trip,” reveals Charles de Oliveira, sporting prescription glasses, the soft gaze of humility, and displaying charisma and good cheer.
On the program he explains how it was actually out of necessity that he had to pursue the prize. He also reveals an enormous passion for animals, his dream of one day owning a farm, his love of São Paulo soccer club Corinthians, and, of course, his take on his last three fights in the UFC and his expectations for his upcoming fight with Nik Lentz.
Also featured on the program, reporter Ana Hissa took the red-eye from Canada to Belém do Para, Brazil, to unearth the story behind Lyoto Machida’s flying front kick. The kick that all at once sent Randy Couture into retirement and resurrected the 1980’s classic “Karate Kid” movie in the 21st century remains alive and well, as popular as ever.
“They can say what they want, but what really matters is that Lyoto won using karate!” asserts Master Yoshizo Machida.