UFC on FOX 17's Charles Oliveira: I'll be first fighter to knock out Myles Jury

Charles Oliveira

Charles Oliveira had a four-fight winning streak snapped in August in Canada. The end came quickly, and it was strange.

But Oliveira isn’t looking at the setback as a loss, regardless of what his official record says. Prior to his UFC Fight Night 74 main event against Max Holloway, Oliveira said he had a neck injury.

During a takedown attempt from Holloway about 90 seconds into the fight, Oliveira reached for his neck, clearly injured. After some confusion, the fight was waved off and it was a TKO win for Holloway. Oliveira was on the canvas being attended to for a lengthy time before being carried out.

“My injury happened during training,” Oliveira, from Brazil, told MMAjunkie. “I ended up hurting my neck. I underwent physical therapy. When I fought, I was 99 percent healed. But when I got taken down, I ended up feeling my neck again and I lost movement on my left side. The injury was not caused by Max Holloway. It’s something that happened before we fought. That’s why I don’t see that fight as a loss.”

However strange it might have been, and whatever Oliveira (20-5 MMA, 8-5 UFC) tells himself as motivation, the loss remains on his resume. That puts him in position to need a bounce-back on Saturday when he meets Myles Jury (15-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) in the featured preliminary card fight at UFC on FOX 17.

Oliveira, who dropped to featherweight when the UFC introduced the division in 2012, will welcome Jury to the division for the first time. Jury, like Oliveira, needs a win after the first loss of his pro career in January.

Oliveira believes a win over Jury is the type of victory he needs to inch toward title contention – despite the loss to Holloway. He hopes the UFC doesn’t hold the Holloway loss against him much.

“I think the UFC knew about that injury I had,” he said. “I showed up to fight despite the injury, but it didn’t work out. Now, this fight against Myles Jury will be a great way for me to continue my winning ways. Hopefully, I’ll get closer to a title shot.”

Given Jury was unbeaten until he lost to Donald Cerrone nearly a year ago, Oliveira believes he’ll be in for a stiff test.

But he also is making a bold prediction.

“Myles is a very tough fighter, with wins by knockout, decision, and submission,” he said. “I know our fight will be a war. I’ll move forward the entire time, like I always do. I have a lot of respect for the work that Myles Jury has done. He’s undefeated, except for his last fight, against Donald Cerrone. But I’ll move forward and impose my rhythm on him. Without a doubt, I’ll be the first fighter to knock him out.”

For more on UFC on FOX 17, check out the UFC Events section of the site.