UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira doesn't care what his critics and doubters think following his third-round submission victory over Dustin Poirier in the main event at UFC 269 on Saturday night.
Oliveira spoke with the media during the post-fight press conference for the event and said that despite being labeled an underdog by oddsmakers going into the matchup, he didn't let that alter his performance or mindset in any way.
“I don’t care,” Oliveira said (h/t MMA Fighting). “I don’t care what people think, I don’t care what they say. Look at what they’ve been saying about me. They say I can’t take hits. Look at what I’ve been doing. They say I quit. Look what I’ve been doing. So I’m just gonna continue to do what I do. Listen, I don’t care. I come here and I do it. I’m not on the internet, I’m not on Twitter, I’m not on Facebook trying to show people what’s going on. I’m here, I’m the champion, I have this belt, I’m gonna keep defending it, I don’t care what people say. I’m gonna do me.”
He continued on to give his initial thoughts on a matchup with the supposed next title challenger at 155-pounds, former interim UFC lightweight champion, Justin Gaethje, a fight that Oliveira is confident he'll be prepared for.
“It’s what I’ve always said,” Oliveira said. “A fight is a fight. I’m gonna do what I do. We’re gonna plan around whoever the opponent is and we’re gonna do what’s needed and we’re just gonna continue to train and make it happen.”
A new challenger approaches? --
— UFC (@ufc) December 12, 2021
[ @CharlesDoBronxs @Justin_Gaethje #UFC269 ] pic.twitter.com/YL7ppEbl9h
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