[autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag] is ready to prove he belongs in the title discussion in the lightweight division by beating [autotag]Tony Ferguson[/autotag] at UFC 256.
Oliveira (29-8 MMA, 17-8 UFC), who is currently riding a seven-fight winning streak with all finishes, gets an opportunity to take his career to the next level when he meets Ferguson (25-4 MMA, 15-2 UFC) in a crucial bout for the division in the Dec. 12 co-main event, which takes place at UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
Ferguson is a former interim 155-pound titleholder and one of the most established and successful names in the weight class over the past decade. Oliveira is eager to take his spot, though, and said the motivation to capitalize on this opportunity is immense.
“I’m taking this fight on less than 20 days notice, but it’s a chance to display my talent and show I’m ready to fight any top 5 ranked guy, like I’ve been saying for a while now”, Oliveira told UFC.com on Tuesday. “The time has come. I will shock the world on Dec. 12.”
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Ferguson, No. 4 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie MMA lightweight rankings, has been pushing for a return to the octagon since he suffered a fifth-round TKO loss to Justin Gaethje at UFC 249 in May. The defeat snapped a 12-fight winning streak for “El Cucuy,” but it appeared to set a fire under him.
It seemed the stars were aligning for a matchup between Ferguson and former Bellator champ Michael Chandler was going to come together, but then the UFC went another direction with Oliveira.
That was exactly what the Brazilian was hoping for, because No. 6-ranked Oliveira has been calling out the top-ranked fighters in his division for the past few years. He got a solid win over Kevin Lee at UFC Fight Night 170 in March, and now he can leave no question where he stands by beating Ferguson.
Between Oliveira and Ferguson, there’s a record 28 combined UFC fight night bonuses. No matchup in history has had that type of track record for bonuses, and Oliveira thinks that creates an epic fight at UFC 256.
“I’m expecting this fight to be a war, because we’re both good on the feet and on the ground,” Oliveira said “We both like to fight, we both move forward Fans can be sure this is going to be a war, but they can also be sure that when it’s done, my arm will be raised. It’s my moment. I respect Ferguson in every way – he’s tough, a fantastic guy – but now it’s my time.”
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