KEVIN LEE VS. CHARLES OLIVEIRA
Lightweights on the fringes of contention clash in the main event of Saturday’s return to Brasilia as Kevin Lee looks to build on a successful return to the division by halting Charles Oliveira’s six-fight winning streak.
Lee entered 2019 off a unanimous decision loss to Al Iaquinta and seemed to be at a career crossroads, stuck between weight classes and still never having reached his full potential inside the Octagon. A fourth-round submission loss to Rafael Dos Anjos at welterweight served as perfect representation of the challenges Lee was struggling with, but after shifting his camp to Montreal’s Tristar Gym, he returned to the lightweight ranks with a bang in November at UFC 244.
Just over halfway through the opening round of his bout with undefeated up-and-comer Gregor Gillespie, Lee connected with a left high kick that ended the entertaining back-and-forth battle in a flash. The performance reminded everyone of his elite upside and re-established the 27-year-old as someone to pay close attention to in the 155-pound weight class.
Oliveira’s UFC career has been somewhat similar to Lee’s in that he too began his run at a young age and struggled to find consistency, especially in those crucial moments that could elevate him to the next level, whether it was during his initial run at lightweight or his featherweight adventures. Over the last two years, however, the now 30-year-old Brazilian has been on an absolute tear to once again reach the precipice of title contention.
“Do Bronx” enters Saturday’s main event clash on a six-fight winning streak, all of which have come by way of stoppage. He holds the record for the most submission wins in UFC history and is second in terms of overall finishes, but more importantly, Oliveira is finally fighting to his full potential. Long, rangy, quick, and powerful, he’s shown greater patience and conditioning, as well as an uncanny ability to pounce and secure the finish the instant he has his opponent hurt.
This is a critical matchup for both men as they have each come up short in similar positions before and need to make good on this main event opportunity. Lightweight is so flush with talent at the moment that even a pair of relatively young, accomplished, entertaining competitors like these two could get swept under in the never-ending wave of fighters battling for position in the divisional hierarchy.
Lee is undefeated when competing outside of the United States and Oliveira is unbeaten fighting in his native Brazil, so someone’s streak is coming to an end on Saturday.
