Does Charles Oliveira Speak Any English? | Explained
UFC Fighter Charles Oliveira has accumulated one of the most impressive win streaks in the history of the UFC.
After interviews, the Brazilian-native will typically use a translator to translate what he said in English.
In this page, we will explain if Charles Oliveira speaks any English, and if so, at what level he can speak it.
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Does Charles Oliveira Speak Any English?
Charles Oliveira speaks enough English to be able to talk through several sentences, but not enough to have a full on conversation with another person.
Oliveira has made some efforts over the years to speak English, most notably in 2018 after his win over Clay Guida.
Oliveira can be seen above in the post-fight interview saying:
Hey Sean, please, may I have another fight in Sao Paolo, 1-4-6, thank you.
As you can see, his English can be understood but is still very limited.
Since that time, it's been very rare to hear Oliveira speak English, as he typically prefers to speak his native tongue while using a translator.
The most recent time where Oliveira can be seen speaking English is during his training session, as he prepares to face Islam Makhachev.
However, even in this recent training video, Oliveira is simply seen saying "Let's go, let's go".
What Language Does Oliveira Speak?
Oliveira mainly speaks Portuguese, and it's an understatement to say that he speaks it fast.
In almost any interview where Oliveira can be heard responding in Portuguese, he talks at such an incredible speed, that many fans wonder if those who also speak Portuguese can keep up.
Fighters Comment On Oliveira's English
Many current and former fighters have been vocal of their opinions on Charles Oliveira choosing to speak mostly Portuguese, rather than committing to learning English.
During the DC & RC show on ESPN, his opponent Islam Makhachev would have some words to say regarding Oliveira's lack of English.
But this guy doesn't speak English. Nobody understands this guy, he doesn't speak English. English is important if you wanna make money, you have to speak some language everybody understands. Nobody understands what he say.
Makhachev, himself has made tremendous improvements in the English language, and it has paid off dividends, as he's able to partake in interviews and show off his thoughts and personality.
In particular, Makhachev would have both hosts laughing, as he would explain his thoughts on how his fight against Oliveira would go:
He lost fight 7 times he won’t be upset if he lose 1 more
He’s fine, I just think he needs to give English a try so he can speak himself, not need someone. Only that is missing, but he has improved a lot, he is doing well, fighting well.
Both fighters make valid points.
It makes the UFC's job of promoting and marketing a fighter to astronomical levels much easier, when they speak English.
Think of how much bigger than Khabib Nurmagomdov vs Conor McGregor rivalry became, from simply Khabib being able to proficiently speak and understand the English language.
If during the press conference and lead up to the fight in general, fans had needed to wait for the translator to translate the question, have Khabib respond in Russian, and have the translator translate again, it would have been much different.
The trash talk, the press conferences, the UFC embedded videos would all have 'lost some flavor'.
Additionally, translators are notorious for summarizing what the fighter says (rather than saying everything that was said), and not always delivering the exact intent that the fighter had in mind.