Charles Oliveira has two particular fighters in mind that he would defend his title against in a fantasy fight.
In March, Oliveira added another chapter to his remarkable UFC story by taking the BMF title from Max Holloway. The five-round display was one-sided, and the Brazilian star never looked troubled.
“Do Bronx” faced plenty of criticism after the bout, with much of it focused on his strategy. He racked up over 20 minutes of ground control time, which didn’t sit well with some fans and analysts.
While Arman Tsarukyan is lining up to challenge for the BMF belt next, Oliveira has been thinking about other names for a fantasy matchup – including Conor McGregor and Justin Gaethje. While he’s spoken about facing them before, nothing ever materialised while he held gold in real life.
Oliveira names Georges St-Pierre as his ideal BMF matchup
The BMF title is meant to represent a fighter willing to face anyone, anytime, regardless of weight class or the consequences.
Speaking with Bloody Elbow through Casinohawks, Oliveira named St-Pierre as his ideal opponent.
“We’ve got to be careful with what we say,” Oliveira told Bloody Elbow.
“I’ll talk about what’s happening right now. We’ve got Tsarukyan saying plenty. We’ve got Nate Diaz saying plenty. We’ve got Conor McGregor saying plenty. So we need to understand what the UFC wants to do.
“But if I could choose someone, with all due respect, I’d name two: Georges St-Pierre and BJ Penn. Because of the history they made.”
St-Pierre is often mentioned in GOAT debates, while Penn’s legacy is more complicated after ending his career on a seven-fight losing streak.
“As a fan, many times I watched St-Pierre and I was left speechless,” Oliveira added. “So as a fan, for everything I watched those men do on the screen, officially watching them. If I could say ‘Blimey if I was to fight’ it would be those men from that era.”
“If the UFC rings me and says ‘Charles you’ll have to defend your title and it only counts by knockout or submission’ then I’ll do everything I can to become champion again by knockout or submission.”
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