UFC 269: Charles Oliveira Says He’s “Here to Make History,” “Build A Legacy”

Las Vegas, NV — A standing rear-naked choke in the third round, forcing Dustin Poirier to tap, cemented Charles Oliveira’s first defense of his lightweight title at UFC 269.

It also extended two impressive records held by the Brazilian: Most submissions in UFC history, now sitting at 15, and most finishes in UFC history, at 18. Not just in the lightweight division, but in the UFC as a whole.

“I’m here to make history. I’m here to prove to people that I can,” Oliveira (32-8, 1NC) exclaimed following the fight, speaking to media outlets including Cageside Press. “You tell me what you thought about the fight tonight.”

At some point in recent years, Oliveira appeared to turn a corner. A fighter that struggled with steps up in competition and had a disastrous run at featherweight, Oliveira returned to 155lbs in 2017 — only to split his first two fights back. Then, in 2018, he embarked on a 10-fight winning streak that saw him capture, and now defend, the UFC’s lightweight title.

“10 straight wins. My daughter was born. I kind of turned a key,” noted Oliveira. “I changed, and I just changed for the better. It’s a legacy. I want to make history, I want to build a legacy, I want to show people that I can.”

Justin Gaethje appears to be up next for “Do Bronx,” and was in attendance on Saturday at the T-Mobile Arena. The pair have exchanged words through the media, and Gaethje’s comments about the Brazilian’s supposed lack of heart did appear to bother him earlier on during Fight Week.

Whether they still do or not, Oliveira had his game face on when asked about his next challenger. “I don’t care. I come here and I do it. I’m not on the Internet, I’m not on Twitter, I’m not on Facebook trying to show people what’s going on. I’m here, I’m the champion, I have this belt, I’m going to keep defending it. I don’t care what people say, I’m gonna do me.”

Dismissing his critics was a common theme for Charles Oliveira on Saturday. Later, he’d add that “I don’t care what people think, I don’t care what they say. Look at what they’ve been saying about me. They say I can’t take hits, look at what I’ve been doing. They say I quit, look at what I’ve been doing. So I’m just going to continue doing what I do.”

Watch the full UFC 269 post-fight press conference with Charles Oliveira above. More coverage from the event can be found below.