UFC 262: The MMA world couldn't stop raving about Charles Oliveira's stunning comeback
Five minutes into the biggest fight of Charles Oliveira's life, his biggest victory was just making it to the end of the first round.
With the vacant UFC lightweight belt on the line, Oliveira and Michael Chandler had exchanged shots on top of shots in the UFC 262 main event, but Chandler was clearly the one who came closest to victory in the first frame. At one moment, it looked like the American was a strike away from taking the belt.
And then Oliveira opened the second round by doing this:
OLIVEIRA BY KO +400 ✅
OLIVEIRA (-128) ✅pic.twitter.com/mbPId6cxPY— The Action Network (@ActionNetworkHQ) May 16, 2021
In the span of 17 seconds, Oliveira pulled off a complete reversal to grab the lightweight belt. Even though it was less than six minutes long, it was an incredible fight, and took a special kind of fighter to pull out the win. And, really, how can you not call Oliveira a special fighter at this point, after going through a record 28 UFC fights for the belt.
Both that comeback and that story, not to mention an emotional, joyous reaction, immediately made Oliveira the MMA world's hero of the night:
Things can change so fast in MMA ! Phewww #UFC262
— Derek Brunson (@DerekBrunson) May 16, 2021
Ohhh my gosh that was insane so fast wow #UFC262
— Mallory Martin (@MalloryyMartin) May 16, 2021
What in the world!! That was crazy #UFC262
— Niko Price (@Nikohybridprice) May 16, 2021
How awesome is this. Congrats to Charles Oliviera. What a fight, what a performance. What a champ!
— michael (@bisping) May 16, 2021
UNREAL!!! So good you gotta get blood on Dana’s beautiful bald head! What a turn around on what looked like the end for Oliveira! #UFC262
— Aljamain Sterling (@funkmasterMMA) May 16, 2021
WOW!!! HUGE congrats to @CharlesDoBronxs !!! Amazing performance and way to fight through real adversity! Amazing! #UFC262
— Stephen Thompson (@WonderboyMMA) May 16, 2021
Charles oliveira just shocked the world !
— Molly McCann (@MeatballMolly) May 16, 2021
Wow gotta be happy for Olivera! What a career he has had. Been fighting on cards with him since @ringofcombat! Amazing to watch it
— Chris Weidman (@chrisweidman) May 16, 2021
Incredible heart by @CharlesDoBronxs
— Paul Felder (@felderpaul) May 16, 2021
What a comeback and what a journey to get to the belt for Charles Oliveira! That was amazing. And Chandler is a monster as well as classy in defeat. Great event. #UFC262
— Tanner Boser (@BulldozerBoser) May 16, 2021
MMA is the most exciting sport in the world. Period. #UFC262
— Tatiana Suarez (@tatianaufc) May 16, 2021
What a legendary moment. Absolutely incredible. Charles Oliveira is UFC champion. I can hardly even believe it.
— Tommy Toe Hold (@TommyToeHold) May 16, 2021
Charles Oliveira, UFC lightweight champion. The guy who won just 10 of his first 19 UFC fights and was most renown for missing weight. What a sport. What a moment. #ufc262
— Shaheen Al-Shatti (@shaunalshatti) May 16, 2021
Charles Oliveira, you beautiful bastard. What a comeback. I'm speechless.
— Guilherme Cruz (@guicruzzz) May 16, 2021
Not often I’ve seen anything like that. #UFC262
— Kevin Iole (@KevinI) May 16, 2021
It’s absolutely insane how quick things change in the @ufc @MikeChandlerMMA was cruising and :19 secs later @CharlesDoBronxs is the champion!!! What a fight! Congrats to the new king. 🇧🇷 You got another champion!!! #ufc262
— Daniel Cormier (@dc_mma) May 16, 2021
Oliveira also got a well wish from a man who is clearly planning to take that belt from him as soon as humanly possible.
Congrats to Olivera on becoming the 11th UFC lightweight champion.
Wonder who Twelve is...— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) May 16, 2021
And of course, there was the unavoidable reaction:
I know, I know … but Charles Oliveira vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov would have been fun.
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) May 16, 2021
I want to See Olivera fight khabib SOOOOO badly right now
— Sam Alvey (@smilensam) May 16, 2021
More from Yahoo Sports:
