Contained Chaos: Oliveira vs. Chandler

Charles Oliveira Changes his Striking Approach

A Legend in the Flesh

Contents:

• The Right Tools for the Job

• Opening Up

I had the blessing to finally witness Charles Oliveira fight live and was elated by the experience. Michael Chandler gave Charles Oliveira the opportunity to put on a 4 round masterclass. Until the shot that rattled him in the 5th and subsequent to the back of the head, Oliveira calmly executed his brand of violence a notch below his usual torrid pace. Despite my heart attack in the fifth, I assessed the fight as such:

A fighter showing a more reserved approach is usually the first sign of their physical decline, but there are a few things to consider.

1. I did not see any evidence of Oliveira looking worse physically, merely better technically

2. Chandler’s balls to the wall approach gave Oliveira the perfect opportunity to showcase this

3. He very well might appear over the hill in his next fight, but being able to approach fights without risking himself as much, and a better wrestling game, will only improve his ability to compete longer in the tooth

With that said, lets assess how Oliveira approached this fight, and how it differed from his previous outings.

Disclaimer: The video clips included in this article are not owned by the author. They are included for educational purposes only to illustrate key moments in the fighter’s career and demonstrate aspects of mixed martial arts techniques and strategies. All rights to the video content belong to their respective owners.

The Right Tools for the Job

Charles Oliveira is an offensive dynamo. From his kicks to clinch striking to submission game, Oliveira is in possession of every finishing weapon The problem is that he has not always chosen the right weapon for every encounter. Take the finishing sequence of his title loss to Makhachev in V1. Oliveira enters from long to mid-range with a flying knee while Makhachev has all the space in the world behind him to retreat. He catches Makhachev primed to counter while he is still recovering his stance, leading to the knockdown. He has a lovely knee, but this was one of the worst times he could have thrown it, there was nothing to set this up or indicate its utility.