Charles Oliveira’s Coach Breaks Silence on Decade-Old Injury Mystery Before UFC 326 Max Holloway Rematch
Charles Oliveira’s head coach, Diego Lima, most recently discussed the injury Oliveira suffered during his first fight with Max Holloway in 2015 at UFC Saskatoon.
Holloway vs. Oliveira 1 was a featherweight bout between two young prospects that only lasted for a few seconds. In the second minute of the fight, while trying to take Holloway down, “Do Bronxs” suffered a mysterious injury that looked like a severe sprain.
Charles Oliveira put his right hand over his left shoulder and signalled to Holloway and referee Dean that something had gone terribly wrong. Dean stopped the bout then and there, with “Blessed” winning by TKO.
The Brazilian was hospitalized immediately, and officials confirmed that he suffered a micro-tear in his esophagus. At that time, Oliveira was just 25 years old.
What happened to Charles Oliveira at UFC Saskatoon?
Most recently, in an interview with MMA Fighting, the former UFC lightweight champion’s coach, Diego Lima, talked about the 2015 injury. He stated that to date, nobody clearly knows what happened to Charles Oliveira at UFC Saskatoon:
“It was all very strange. Really crazy how it happened. So much so that even today nobody knows what actually happened. The hospital wouldn’t let him leave or return to Brazil because they couldn’t detect exactly what the problem was, he still had that paralysis. It was something very serious that no one ever figured out.”
Lima added that “Do Bronxs” didn’t get hurt during his first meeting with Holloway.
“If you watch the fight, he didn’t get hit, nothing happened. He backs up, feels something, and leans against the fence. It’s not like, ‘Man, he’s getting beat up in this fight.’ Nothing like that. The fight hadn’t even really developed yet. It was just starting to find its rhythm.”
The hospital didn’t want to release Charles Oliveira for two days after the Holloway fight, as they could not find the root cause behind his injury. Lima further added:
“It was very scary precisely because of that. If we know what it is, we treat it. But since no one knew exactly what it was, there was nothing to treat. He stayed hospitalized, and the hospital didn’t want to release him at all because he wasn’t improving.” [h/t: MMA Fighting]
Since their first meeting, both fighters have evolved tremendously. One now proudly calls himself the best boxer in the UFC, while the other is widely regarded as the best submission artist.
Max Holloway and Charles Oliveira will run it back next month at UFC 326. This time, Oliveira won’t just be fighting for redemption. He will also have the chance to dethrone BMF champ Holloway.
