Charles Oliveira, who himself has never topped the UFC`s pound-for-pound (P4P) rankings, asserts that a particular star from UFC 320 already deserves to be at the pinnacle of that esteemed list.
This weekend, Oliveira is set to re-enter the Octagon, aiming to keep his title aspirations alive. His return comes just over 100 days after his devastating knockout loss to Ilia Topuria in their lightweight championship bout earlier this summer.
Fighting on home soil to headline UFC Rio, the former divisional kingpin Oliveira will face an impromptu opponent, Mateusz Gamrot, in a revised main event clash.
However, inspired by the recent success of his compatriot Alex Pereira, the São Paulo megastar Charles Oliveira believes another victor from last week`s UFC 320 has been unfairly overlooked.
Charles Oliveira Declares Merab Dvalishvili the Best UFC Fighter Currently
While his countryman Pereira made a significant leap in the P4P rankings following his knockout win over Magomed Ankalaev, he has yet to reach the top spot.
Nonetheless, according to the promotion`s most prolific submission artist and outright finisher, UFC 320 co-headliner Merab Dvalishvili is the legitimate holder of the number one ranking.
“The guy who has been doing a great job out there, who I really like to watch is Merab (Dvalishvili),” Oliveira told TNT Sports when asked to name the best UFC fighter in the promotion right now.
During the same Q&A session, Oliveira also confidently proclaimed himself the greatest Brazilian fighter to ever compete in the Octagon and the proud owner of the best submission victory in history, thanks to his memorable stoppage years ago.
Merab Dvalishvili Linked to Potential Clash with Former Pound-for-Pound Leader
After his dominant victory over title challenger Cory Sandhagen last weekend, Dvalishvili has expressed intentions to fight as early as December and has been vocal about his active future.
He has been mentioned as a potential opponent for both Umar Nurmagomedov and Petr Yan, with talks of multiple bantamweight title defenses to set a new divisional record.
Furthermore, his head coach has hinted at a potential super fight in a higher weight class against a former P4P pacesetter in the near future.