SALT LAKE CITY – Chael Sonnen thinks Charles Oliveira has Tony Ferguson to thank for helping elevate his star.
Oliveira earned a title shot after a lopsided decision win over Ferguson at UFC 256, and went on to capture the vacant lightweight title with a knockout of Michael Chandler at UFC 262. “Do Bronx” then scored back-to-back finishes of Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje, before seeing his run stopped by Islam Makhachev. However, he rebounded with a first-round TKO of Beneil Dariush at UFC 289 to earn another title shot.
Oliveira (34-9 MMA, 22-9 UFC) is one of the most beloved stars on the roster and has headlined four straight pay-per-view events from 2021-2022. He will headline another show when he run things back with lightweight champ Makhachev at UFC 294 on Oct. 21 in Abu Dhabi. According to Sonnen, Oliveira’s star has largely to do with Ferguson giving him an opportunity.
