Charles Do Bronx responds to Carlos Prates about warning him about facing Rafael Fiziev at UFC Rio: 'I can knock him out'

Charles do Bronx is one of the top Brazilian fighters in the UFC. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram

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Charles "Do Bronx" Oliveira is convinced he made the right decision in accepting to headline UFC Rio, scheduled for October 11th, even though many think otherwise. The Brazilian is recovering from the first knockout loss of his career, and the decision to face Rafael Fiziev with little rest time has left some fans skeptical, including Carlos Prates , who has trained with the Kyrgyz fighter and warned his compatriot , claiming that Charles "accepted the fight with his heart."

In an interview with 'AG Fight,' Charles explained that his decision to fight was motivated by a combination of factors. Besides wanting to help keep the event strong with his presence on the card, he also made a personal request to the UFC to compete. The organization, he says, granted his wish and, at the same time, guaranteed the main attraction for the audience.

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“What Carlos Prates said is good, yes. It was a combination of things: saving the card because of my name, but it was also my request to be able to fight, so the UFC granted it and saved the card at the same time by putting me on the card,” said Charles.

The fighter from São Paulo acknowledges the difficulty of the challenge against Rafael Fiziev , but demonstrates confidence in his own knockout power and ground game. He emphasizes that the decision to accept the fight involved both emotion and reason, as he had a strong interest in fighting in front of his home crowd.

“Fiziev, yes, is a very tough guy, he has a very heavy hand. But I also believe in the firepower of my hands. If I hit, I can also knock him out. I also have the ground game, so yes, I accepted part of it with my heart, but also with my mind, because I really wanted this fight. So put one thing together with the other, and now that's it: on October 11th we'll be there with this spirit, which I'm happy and content with, to make it happen,” concluded Charles Do Bronx.

Carlos Prates' opinion on Charles Do Bronx's fight at UFC Rio

Carlos Prates reveals behind-the-scenes details with Fiziev and predicts Charles do Bronx 's fight at UFC Rio. (Image credit: SUPER LUTAS)

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Carlos Prates , who trained with Fiziev for four years in Thailand, analyzed the fight and didn't hide his concern about the Kyrgyz fighter's explosive style. According to him, the only way for Charles to even the score is to rely on his pressure and ground game, avoiding, at all costs, prolonging the fight standing up.

"I don't know, I think Charles accepted it in his heart to fight here in Brazil. It's a fight that doesn't make sense. Charles just got knocked out, and Fiziev has a really tough hand. I think Charles's game is to move forward, smother, and grab. If he keeps exchanging blows, Fiziev is tough," Prates said in an interview with the channel 'Laerte Viana na Área'.

Main event on a historic night for Charles do Bronx

The clash between Charles Oliveira and Rafael Fiziev will be the main event of the first UFC Fight Night held in Rio de Janeiro in a decade. The card is scheduled to take place at the Farmasi Arena and will mark the 13th UFC event in the city.

The fight was made possible at the request of Charles himself, who expressed his desire to return to Brazil, something that has not happened since March 2020, when he fought in Brasília, in an event without an audience due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

With no belt on the line, the UFC is banking on Do Bronx's charisma to fill the arena and boost the Brazilian market amid a challenging economic climate. Despite coming off a loss, the São Paulo native remains one of the most popular names on the roster, and Farmasi Arena is expected to sell out.

Rafael Fiziev , meanwhile, is experiencing a recovery in the octagon. After suffering a setback against Justin Gaethje and a serious knee injury, the striker returned in style with a victory over Ignacio Bahamondes and now aims for a spot in the top 5 with a significant win over Charles Oliveira.

Furthermore, Fiziev is undefeated against Brazilians in the UFC, having defeated Renato Moicano and Rafael Dos Anjos , both by knockout.

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