At present time, Charles Oliveira is the unsolvable puzzle of the lightweight division in the UFC. He holds the championship belt and has successfully defended it once as well. With a wealth of grappling knowledge and clean, crisp strikes on his long lanky frame, it's easy to see why he is so dominant in the division.
RELATED: 10 Things UFC Fans Should Know About Charles OliveiraHis current win streak sits at 10 in a row after a tough start to his UFC career with injuries and tough outings losing to high-level talent. Later in his career, he somehow found the form to claim gold and stake his name as one of the greats and one of the best fight finishers to ever do it.
10 Vs.Nik Lentz, UFC Fight Night: Condit vs. Alves
At this time in his career, Oliveira was considered a decent grappler, and his striking prowess was still in development. He also consistently found himself on the wrong end of the scale missing weight for the featherweight division a few times.
He put on an impressive striking display but what was truly impressive was his grappling, how he switched from a Thai clinch to a guillotine while standing was so fast and tight that Nick Lentz only had two options tap or go to sleep.
9 Vs. Clay Guida, UFC 225
Clay Guida is known as one of the toughest fighters on the roster, he'll never back down from a war, he's a relentless grappler and a former Strikeforce champion. Not only is Clay a tough opponent but Oliveira had lost 3 of his last 4 putting him on the cusp of being cut.
With the pressure on and a game fighter across from him, Oliveira pulled out another finish submitting Guida via guillotine choke and beginning his 10-fight win streak in the UFC.
8 Vs. Jim Miller, UFC On Fox: Lee vs. Iaquinta 2
The best fighters in the UFC remember their losses for a very long time and want nothing more than to avenge them. The iron man Jim Miller had given Oliveira a tough welcome to the UFC in Oliveira's 3rd fight with the company.
Oliveira was able to return the favor to Jim Miller. Submitting him via rear-naked choke in an impressive one minute and fifteen seconds and proving himself as one of the best grapplers in the game.
7 Vs. Darren Elkins, UFC Live: Jones Vs. Matyushenko
In terms of gritty fighters that you have to finish to take them out of the fight, no one has faced more than Charles Oliveira. And in that category, there is nobody quite like his first opponent in the UFC Darren Elkins.
Making a mark in your debut is key as a fighter, you want to be remembered, and by submitting one of the toughest guys in the company Oliveira made his mark by submitting Darren Elkins via triangle choke.
6 Vs. Kevin Lee, UFC Fight Night: Lee Vs. Oliveira
Oliveira fought Kevin Lee at a catchweight of 158 pounds because Kevin Lee was a little too heavy for the fight. For Oliveira that was a tough prospect, because he was a guy who fought at featherweight for a while so to be matched up with a guy who couldn't make weight and was a former welterweight is tough.
Kevin Lee was also coming off of a devastating knockout of Gregor Gillespie and was bound to make a run at lightweight. The fight was also a tough one being the first without fans due to COVID-19. Lee looked dominant throughout the fight until he got caught by his superior grappling Oliveira and tapped to a guillotine.
5 Vs. David Teymur, UFC Fight Night 144
The first real display of Oliveira's crisp and developed striking came in his bout with David Teymur who himself is a kickboxing specialist. Oliveira got caught and dropped in the first round of the fight but was able to get back up.
RELATED: 10 Things You Should Know About The UFC's Alexander VolkanovskiHe then went on to land an insane elbow up close on Teymur stunning him. Oliveira followed it up with a beautiful combination that left Teymur out on his feet before wrapping up another guillotine to finish him.
4 Vs. Eric Wisely, UFC on Fox: Evans Vs. Davis
The average fight fan has no clue what a calf slicer submission is, but they do know it sounds complicated and painful for anyone to get caught in. That's what happened to Eric Wisely when he faced Oliveira.
Oliveira wrapped up what looked to be a heel hook but when Wisely started to slip out Oliveira transitioned it by sticking his leg in the bend of Wisely's knee and pulling Wisely back onto him which puts pressure on the knee forcing Wisely to tap.
3 Vs. Dustin Poirier, UFC 269
In his first defense of the belt, Oliveira drew Dustin Poirier. At the time Poirier was the clear favorite in this fight, everyone expected him to walk through Oliveira and finish him. Poirier was the betting favorite in the fight as well.
After a back and forth first round where they both landed strikes Oliveira controlled and dominated the second round on top and then pushed the pace in the third on a tired Poirier. Oliveira then finished him via rear-naked choke.
2 Vs. Tony Ferguson, UFC 256
Tony Ferguson was coming off his first loss in 7 years to Justin Gaethje and it was thought that the boogeyman Tony Ferguson was going to tear his next opponent limb from limb to prove he is still one of the best in the world.
RELATED: 10 Best Leg Kickers The UFC Has Ever SeenOliveira took it to Ferguson in a grappling-heavy approach which at the time no one had attempted to do against Ferguson who was an all-American wrestler and BJJ black belt. Oliveira won the bout via decision stifling any chance Tony had.
1 Vs. Michael Chandler, UFC 262
The left hook heard around the world is a pretty cool name for a punch that a fighter landed, especially if that punch secured the TKO victory and finished one of the best fighters in the world Michael Chandler.
For a fighter, there is no sweeter victory than the one that secures you a belt and we're sure that Oliveira fondly looks back on this fight as one of his most impressive performances if not his most impressive.
