In the second part of our exclusive interview with Charles Oliveira, the Brazilian lightweight legend shifts focus from his personal journey to analyzing the broader MMA landscape. “Do Bronx” shares his predictions for key upcoming matchups, including Islam Makhachev’s welterweight debut against Jack Della Maddalena, discusses the potential for cross-divisional superfights, and addresses criticism of his longtime training home at Chute Boxe following his loss to Ilia Topuria—taking full responsibility for the defeat while defending his gym’s legacy.
If Islam Makhachev keeps Jack Della Maddalena on the ground, he will be Welterweight champ
Charles Oliveira: Honestly, I think it’s gonna be a great fight.
Everyone already knows Islam’s striking has improved a lot, but his main game is still to grab you and wrap you up. Jack Della Maddalena, for me, is a guy with sharp hands. He’s not necessarily a one-punch knockout artist, but he breaks you down little by little. He showed that in his last fight—stuffing takedowns, getting taken down, getting back up, just grinding it out. He could’ve easily beaten Belal. It’s a major clash of styles. If Islam manages to smother him and get the fight to the ground, he can win. But if he lets Jack move, strike, and chip away, then Jack definitely takes it. So it all comes down to timing. If Islam can neutralize him and get on top, he wins.
Islam vs Ilia Topuria at welterweight would be awesome
Charles Oliveira: Man, it’s wild. That’s MMA – we’re talking about a sport that’s totally unpredictable. Topuria’s been talking a lot about that. Like, if Islam wins, he’ll move up. And honestly, who’s to say he won’t? It’d be awesome to see. Let’s just wait and see what happens next. Step one is Islam winning. Then we’ll see if he actually moves up.
Topuria beats Justin Gaethje
Charles Oliveira: Justin Gaethje and Topuria are both stand-up guys. They trade heavy, they throw hands, they move a lot. I think Topuria’s got a real shot at winning. But man, MMA is crazy, you know? One day you’re on fire, next day you’re off. It’s all about how you show up on the night. But yeah, I think Topuria can win. I actually think he will.
Chute Boxing gym wasn’t to blame for Topuria loss – I am!
Charles Oliveira: Man, honestly, this is a serious topic, and I say this with all due respect. People are always gonna talk; win or lose. That’s just how it is. If you win, great. If you lose, they’ll come for you with criticism.
Chute Boxe is a gym that’s always moved forward. They’ve always been willing to go toe-to-toe with anyone, straight up, or even pushing the pace. That’s just how it’s always been. They brought me into MMA. And what is MMA? It’s the complete game. It’s the mix of all martial arts.
So, at the end of the day, I just didn’t do what I was supposed to do. I was supposed to move, strike, get out, shoot for takedowns. But I ended up staying still. That’s on me. The blame isn’t on Chute Boxe.
Alex Pereira will KO Ankalaev in rematch
Charles Oliveira: Man, for sure. That fight had to happen. Everybody knew it was coming. Honestly, in Alex’s last fight, he waited a bit too much for the takedown attempts, and that’s when he found the openings to land his hands.
I truly believe Poatan wins the rematch—and I think he gets the knockout.
Alex Pereira vs Tom Aspinall would be an absolute war
Charles Oliveira: Man, Aspinall is a beast. He moves really well, has legit jiu-jitsu, and he’s super active. I’ve been seeing Pereira taking shots at him here and there…
But honestly, I don’t think the styles match up well for Poatan. It’d be a really tough fight for him because of Aspinall’s skill set. But man, I’d love to see that fight. And of course, I’d root for our Brazilian. No doubt it’d be an absolute war.