Despite never reaching the pinnacle of the pound-for-pound rankings himself, Charles Oliveira is convinced that a standout performer from UFC 320 justly deserves the top spot on that prestigious list.
This weekend, Charles Oliveira will stake his future championship hopes, returning to action a little over 100 days after his brutal knockout defeat to Ilia Topuria in their lightweight title bout this past summer.
Headlining UFC Rio on his home turf, the former lightweight champion Oliveira is set to face Mateusz Gamrot, who stepped in as an impromptu opponent for the revised main event.
Inspired by the recent triumph of his countryman Alex Pereira, the celebrated Sao Paulo fighter Oliveira contends that another winner from last week`s UFC 320 has been unfairly overlooked.
Charles Oliveira Declares Merab Dvalishvili the Current Best UFC Fighter
Although his compatriot Pereira made a significant jump in the pound-for-pound rankings after his knockout victory over Magomed Ankalaev, he still hasn`t reached the very top of the promotion`s list.
Nevertheless, according to Oliveira, the promotion`s most skilled submission artist and overall finisher, UFC 320 co-main event fighter Merab Dvalishvili, is the legitimate claimant to the number one pound-for-pound spot.
“The guy who has been performing exceptionally well, and who I genuinely enjoy watching, is Merab (Dvalishvili),” Oliveira told TNT Sports when asked to name the best UFC fighter currently.
During the same Q&A, Oliveira confidently asserted himself as the greatest Brazilian fighter to ever grace the Octagon and proudly claimed ownership of the finest submission victory in history, thanks to his memorable finish from years past.
Merab Dvalishvili Potentially Set for Clash Against Former Pound-for-Pound King
Following his commanding victory over title contender Cory Sandhagen this past weekend, Dvalishvili has expressed a desire to fight again as early as December, openly discussing his plans for an active career.
To potentially set a new divisional record, Dvalishvili has been associated with numerous bantamweight title defenses and has been considered a prospective opponent for both Umar Nurmagomedov and Petr Yan.
However, his head coach has hinted at a potential super fight in a higher weight class against a former pound-for-pound king in the near future.
