When an undefeated and untamed legend like Khabib Nurmagomedov claims that Justin Gaethje is the most powerful striker he’s ever faced, it’s impossible to refute that. However, a fellow former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira begs to differ. During a recent fan interaction, ‘Do Bronx’ had some bold choice of words about Gaethje and the rest of the lightweight division.
Well, grapplers and wrestlers possess immense strength, too, but they’re not the focus of this conversation. It’s all about strikers, and one of the best, Charles Oliveira, mentioned that there are quite a few strong guys in his division. Just like Khabib Nurmagomedov, who picked Justin Gaethje, ‘Do Bronxs’ also mentioned how people were warning about the former interim lightweight and BMF champion. ‘The Eagle’ once claimed that ‘The Highlight’ “hits like a truck,” but Oliveira doesn’t share the same sentiment because he saw what happened when they fought back at UFC 274.
“It’s very hard to answer [who hits the hardest] but, I mean, Dustin Poirier, Justin Gaethje, Michael Chandler,” Charles Oliveira stated during a recent Q&A session with the fans ahead of UFC 312. “You know, when I fought Justin Gaethje, they said, ‘He’s the guy who hits the hardest.’ When I hit him, he folded.”
MMA: UFC 300-Weigh Ins Apr 12, 2024 Las Vegas, Nevada, USA UFC fighter Charles Oliveira during ceremonial weigh ins for UFC 300 at MGM Grand Garden Arena. Las Vegas MGM Grand Garden Arena Nevada USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xMarkxJ.xRebilasx 20240412_mjr_su5_019
Well, Khabib Nurmagomedov may not know how hard Charles Oliveira is because they never shared the Octagon together. So we still can’t be sure who’s the strong one here, but ‘Do Bronxs’ claims to be that one guy who the lightweight division should be worried about because he has more than winning the 155-pound title in mind.
“So I’ll tell you what, the guy who hits the hardest is ME! I am the problem in this division. I’m going for the BMF [title] as well. So, I’m the one to do it,” the former champion added. It seems like Charles Oliveira may not be in the wrong with his claims because Justin Gaethje appears to agree with the Brazilian.
Justin Gaethje once claimed Charles Olveira landed the “best shot” among all his rivals
Justin Gaethje is known for his immense striking game and the violence he can bring whenever he steps inside the cage. However, his skills didn’t seem too effective when he fought Charles Oliveira. Although he succumbed to a submission loss that night, what stood out for him was ‘Do Bronxs’s accuracy and strength with that one shot that he had practiced trying to defend more times than he can remember.
“I think the best shot that landed on me was from [Charles] Oliveira. It’s that same shot 100 times, you don’t see it one time and it’s so much more effective,” Justin Gaethje revealed during a Q&A session last year. “That was the case that night. He caught me off guard, by surprise. It hurt.”
Well, it’s hard to deny what Charles Oliveira had to claim, given that he has 10 knockouts to his name. But it remains to see how many more he can get in the near future, as he looks to win the lightweight and the BMF title. Let us know your thoughts in the comments down below.
The post “He Folded” – Defying Khabib’s Assessment of Justin Gaethje, Charles Oliveira Gives Cold Verdict on the ‘Hardest Hitting’ UFC Lightweight appeared first on EssentiallySports.