Charles Oliveira is just a matter of weeks away from his first opportunity to claim a UFC title in the Lightweight division and now he’s been awarded with the 3rd degree on his BJJ black belt. While any promotions above black belt are always given based on the length of time the practitioner has spent training, Oliveira no doubt deserves this when considering the incredible grappling displays he’s managed to put on during his UFC career.
In his last outing, Oliveira earned his title shot by dominating Tony Ferguson on the feet and on the ground at UFC 256 and this was even more impressive considering Ferguson is a 10th planet black belt in his own right. His first attempt at UFC gold comes after a very long career for the promotion started over a decade ago that has seen Oliveira rack up the most submission wins in UFC history, and tie the record for most finishes of any kind.
His performances have seen him hover around the very top of the UFC Lightweight division for years and now that he’s finally broken through the final barrier, he’s drawn the attention of some of the biggest names in the sport. Even Strikeforce and UFC veteran Josh Thomson reported that Oliveira was the most interesting matchup for the recently-retired Lightweight World Champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, should he ever choose to return. Charles Oliveira announced the news of his recent promotion to 3rd degree BJJ black belt on his official Instagram account, where he gave thanks to Jorge Patino and Carlos Tavela:
