UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira already has a mural in his native Guaruja, Brazil just days after earning the title at UFC 262.
After earning the knockout win over Michael Chandler for the UFC lightweight title at UFC 262, Charles Oliveira is already enjoying the champion life in his native Brazil.
Just days following the event, Brazilian artist Wilis Cavalcante created a mural masterpiece of Oliveira that quickly went viral on social media. Oliveira visited the mural during his trip to his hometown earlier this week following the championship win.
Oliveira rose to the top of the UFC lightweight division following an eight-fight winning streak. This includes wins over former interim title challengers Tony Ferguson and Kevin Lee.
Charles Oliveira is one of many UFC champions who have been celebrated and commemorated in Brazil
Charles Oliveira is not the only UFC star to have a mural of himself in Brazil created by Cavalcante. Former champions Petr Yan and Ronda Rousey are just a few of the elite athletes who have graced Brazil’s spray-paint hall of fame.
The mural is measured at 1,070 square feet and took just 24 hours for Cavalcante to complete. The artist had a lot to say about the latest addition to his mural portfolio in an interview with MMA Fighting.
“I’ve always wanted to paint something about Charles and didn’t even think about the fight that was coming up,” Cavalcante said. “I woke up on Sunday without knowing the result of the fight. I got a lot of texts saying he won and it was so much celebration. I watched some highlights of the fight and went back to the wall to finish the mural. It was amazing.”
For his first lightweight title defense, Oliveira is expected to take on the winner of the Conor McGregor vs. Dustin Poirier trilogy fight which takes place at UFC 264. Regardless of who wins the trilogy, Oliveira will face a tough test as he defends his throne as the UFC’s lightweight king.