Charles Oliveira: I will be champ in 2021, it is written

Charles Oliveira has been fighting since 2008, in the UFC since 2010. “Do Bronx” started out going 10-8 with 1 No Contest. That’s close to a 50-50 figher, but he won nine performance bonuses in the process. Beginning in 2018, Oliveira reached a new level, and has now won seven in a row, earning a performance bonus in all but one fight, and setting a UFC record for most submission wins.

Oliveira fights Tony Ferguson in the co-main event of UFC 256 on Saturday, and said at Wednesday’s virtual media day that winning the title in 2021 as inevitable.

For sure, said Oliveira through an interpreter. That’s all planned out. It’s written.

Oliveira isn’t speaking mystically; he has a specific path charted out. First, he believes current lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, who said he had promised his mother he would never fight again.

I have no doubts in my mind, said Oliveira. The champ in the division swore on his father’s grave that he’s not going to fight again, so why would he fight again?

With the title open, Oliveira sees a four-man tournament for the belt:
The winner of himself vs. Ferguson at UFC 256
vs.
The winner of the Conor McGregor vs. Dustin Poirier rematch in the main event of UFC 257 on January 23, 2021, in TBA.

The top five guys have been this little group fighting each other, Oliveira said. I knew the opportunity was going to come. At some point, those guys weren’t going to have an opportunity. Thankfully I’m in that position now.

This is the current UFC lightweight top 10:
CHAMPION(?): KHABIB NURMAGOMEDOV
1. Justin Gaethje
2. Dustin Poirier
3. Tony Ferguson
4. Conor McGregor
5. Dan Hooker
6. Rafael Dos Anjos
7. Charles Oliveira
8. Paul Felder
9. Diego Ferreira
10. Al Iaquinta

Looking at that list, how plausible is Oliveira’s vision?