MMA fighter Charles Oliveira has expressed interest in facing former two-division UFC champion Georges St-Pierre in a grappling match at the upcoming UFC Fight Pass Invitational in Las Vegas.
Charles Oliveira, an acclaimed figure in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), expressed his interest in going head-to-head with a well-known contender on the grappling mats later this year in a recent podcast episode of Trocação Franca. Even though the opponent for the former two-division UFC champion Georges St-Pierre for the upcoming UFC Fight Pass Invitational event set for December 14 in Las Vegas is yet to be confirmed, Oliveira boldly put forward his candidature. “That would be very important for me”, he affirmed, expressing his love for the art and his eagerness to compete in a jiu-jitsu or grappling match.
Oliveira is not only excited about the idea of participating, but he also regards it as a significant honor. He greatly admires and respects St-Pierre, as stated on the podcast, and meeting him for the face-off would be a significant event in his career. Being a retired champion welterweight and having not competed since his retirement in 2017 after claiming the 185-pound title from Michael Bisping at Madison Square Garden, New York, St-Pierre is widely considered one of the greatest figures in the sport.
Oliveira has been participating in grappling matches over the past few years in Brazil, and he was expected to compete in August before his rematch with Islam Makhachev was scheduled for October 21 in Abu Dhabi. In his career, Oliveira has made 16 successful submission victories in the UFC, defeating notable competitors like Justin Gaethje, Dustin Poirier, Kevin Lee, and Jim Miller. Comparatively, St-Pierre achieved three submissions during his UFC career against competitors such as Bisping, Matt Hughes, and Frank Trigg.
Though he hopes for a match with St-Pierre, Oliveira is open to grappling with any other opponent for the scheduled Las Vegas match if the St-Pierre match does not become available. Contending that remaining active is key, Oliveira feels that competing with any other person would also serve the greater purpose. Yet, he dares to dream, and, he stated in the podcast, “it would be wonderful if it’s against St-Pierre”.