Even with a stellar string of often one-sided wins in the sport’s deepest division, there are those who would argue Oliveira had been overlooked or taken for granted. Perhaps his middling years at featherweight allowed him to fly under the radar when he returned to lightweight in 2017. Certainly, fighters with lesser credentials on paper have competed for the strap in the interim. But deep into his 11th year in the promotion, none of this feels overdue to Oliveira.
“No, not really,” he insists. “We knew the opportunity was coming for us. I had done a great fight against Tony Ferguson and I knew it was my time. I’m very happy with the opportunity. I’m living this amazing moment God gave me, and our time has arrived.“
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His “time,” as he describes it, arrives with the Brazilian possessing one of the more enviable résumés in the promotion. Oliveira owns all-time UFC records for finishes and submissions wins. If he can secure two more performance bonuses before he’s done, he’ll own that category too. At just 31 years of age, those odds are pretty good.
The third-degree BJJ black belt has built his name on an absolute mastery of the submission finish. His pro career is dotted with nearly every variety you can imagine: rear-naked choke, anaconda, guillotine, triangle, kneebar…even a calf slicer. Opponents can’t be on the lookout for a signature move, because they’re all part of Oliveira’s toolbox. With the shortest average fight time in the UFC, Oliveira averages more than three submissions for every 15 minutes in the Octagon. That’s just plain scary, and in recent years, established veteran lightweights look like they struggle for answers against him.
