Charles Oliveira didn’t appreciate Justin Gaethje pretending to be respectful to his face during UFC 269 backstage interaction.
Following an impressive win over Dustin Poirier at UFC 269, Oliveira had a backstage meeting with Justin Gaethje. The lightweight contender congratulated Oliveria on his win and showed his respect to the Brazilian.
However, ‘Bronx’ didn’t appreciate Gaethje pretending to be respectful to his face while talking trash behind his back. Speaking to MMA Fighting, Oliveira said:
“The guy is talking a bunch of cr*p the entire time, and when we meet face-to-face he says he has all the respect for me and what I do — and two minutes later he’s saying he’ll break my face and saying a bunch of stuff. These guys hype things up and try to sell the fight with something they are not. If you’re a humble guy, if you’re a respectful guy, you have to sell the fight that way. If you’re a guy that talks cr*p, you have to sell the fight talking cr*p the entire time — to my face and behind my back.”
Charles Oliveira also stated that he doesn’t care about what his opponent can bring to the game. Instead, he is more concerned about what he has to offer. Here’s what Oliveira said:
“These 10 (consecutive) wins I got, I’m only worried about what I can bring to the game, not what my opponents can bring, and I believe it will continue that way. I’m not worried about what Justin Gaethje — if it is against him — can bring, but [instead] what I can bring to the game. A striker, a jiu-jitsu guy, an MMA fighter, that’s what I’ll bring. Boldness and joy inside the cage. I’m happy and I have cardio. That’s what matters.”
Charles Oliveira is currently riding a ten-fight winning streak in the UFC, beating the likes of Michael Chandler, Tony Ferguson, and Dustin Poirier in back-to-back fights.
Who will Charles Oliveira fight next in the UFC?
While Justin Gaethje is expected to challenge for the UFC lightweight strap at some point, there has been widespread speculation that Irish megastar Conor McGregor could jump the line and face Charles Oliveira for the title next in his UFC comeback fight.
‘The Notorious’ is expected to be back in full sparring by April 2022. The Irishman is currently recovering from the leg injury he suffered during his trilogy fight with Dustin Poirier.
UFC president Dana White accepts Justin Gaethje as the next contender for the title, but he hasn’t shut down the possibility of McGregor jumping the line and challenging Charles Oliveira next.