Charles Oliveira reveals his regret from Ilia Topuria fight at UFC 317

UFC star Charles Oliveira has revealed the biggest regret he has from his fight – and defeat – to Ilia Topuria at UFC 317.

As we know, Charles Oliveira is a lightweight legend in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. In his last outing, the man known as ‘Do Bronx’ squared off against Ilia Topuria with the UFC lightweight title on the line. Unfortunately for Charles, he was simply overwhelmed by ‘El Matador’, who knocked the Brazilian sensation out cold to successfully capture his second UFC world title.

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While many wanted to see Oliveira take lots of time off after such a defeat, he has instead decided to try and stay active. He’ll do so by meeting Rafael Fiziev in the main event of UFC Rio in October, and although there are plenty of doubters and critics out there, you can bet Charles will be working hard to prove them wrong.

In a recent inteview with Thunderpick, Oliveira had the following to say about his performance and what he should’ve done differently.

Oliveira looks back at Topuria loss

“My reflection is simple: sometimes we try to prove something we don’t need to prove,” Oliveira told Thunderpick.

“I had trained a lot of movement, calf kicks, one-twos, takedown entries, combos leading to high kicks — all that.

“But when the fight started, I just wanted to show off,” Oliveira revealed.

“I believed too much in my hands, in my knockout power. I kept waiting for the perfect moment to land, but he was way faster than me because I was standing there waiting for one shot. He was way quicker…

“His game plan worked better than mine. It was his night. His timing was better. His punch landed before mine. He deserves all the respect in the world—it was his moment.

“Meanwhile, I was waiting for something I shouldn’t have waited for,” Oliveira said.

“What should I have done? Moved. But I didn’t. I didn’t do anything I trained for. I just stood in front of him and paid the price. That’s why I went home, stayed close to my family, and went back to training. Because there’s still so much to prove, so much to do.

“I’ve been in the UFC for 15 years. I’d never been knocked out before — this was the first time. But I don’t need anyone to pick me up. It’s up to me. So, I’ve already gotten back up, and I’m moving forward. Like I said, that night is over. Now, it’s about the next one.”

Quotes via Bloody Elbow