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“I’m on a great path towards living my dream of being champion,” said the humble Brazilian when asked about his current run of success, one that has seen him morph into the fighter many always envisioned he would become. “The records are very nice, but they’re not my focus; my focus is on becoming champion.”
If he keeps on the way he’s been going of late, that’s not an unrealistic possibility.
During his current six-fight winning streak, the powerful striking, deft submission skills, and nose for finishing fights that Oliveira has exhibited throughout his career has remained front and center, but the frenetic energy that permeated his previous appearances has been replaced by a more measured, more methodical approach inside the cage.
It’s like the inevitable scene in every superhero movie where the character finally learns to harness and control his or her powers. It’s taken some time, but “Do Bronx” seems to have finally put it all together and it’s turned him into one of the most intriguing members of the lightweight class, with this weekend’s showdown with Lee standing not only as one of the best fights of the month, but one of the most compelling battles to hit the Octagon so far this year.
Like Oliveira, the 27-year-old Lee is a talented, but at times frustrating young fighter with boundless potential and a handful of high-profile stumbles on his resume. Just when it seemed like he too was destined to be someone who was never quite able to put it all together and establish himself as a true contender, “The Motown Phenom” walked into Madison Square Garden and banished Gregor Gillespie from the ranks of the unbeaten with a walk-off high kick knockout at UFC 244.
Just as Oliveira’s string of stoppages over the last two years prompted observers to reconsider their evaluations of the still surprisingly young veteran, Lee’s blistering finish of Gillespie in November did the same.
Now the two will fight to decide which one them will continue moving forward towards their shared goal of holding UFC gold.
And if Oliveira breaks a couple more records along the way, that’s a nice little bonus.
“I am very happy with the fight against Kevin Lee,” said Oliveira. “Being able to fight in the main event in Brazil makes me very happy.
“My dream is to be champion. I have never dreamed of breaking records, but I do believe that my focus on being champion results in breaking records.
“Records are nice, but my dream is the title. The belt is everything.”
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