Charles Oliveira’s incredible life story was told in detail by MMA Fighting back in 2021, and it will now become a movie.
405 Films announced in June, before “do Bronx” challenged Ilia Topuria for the UFC lightweight championship, that the studio had acquired his life rights to adapt his story into a feature film.
Oliveira, a former UFC champion who headlines UFC Rio against Rafael Fiziev on Oct. 11,
recently told MMA Fighting he’s excited for the project.
“We saw a little preview, a short video they made showing a few things,” Oliveira said. “We want people to transmit the emotion because I want the film to show what I really went through. I don’t want it to be like, ‘Oh, add this to make the film spicier.’ No, I haven’t lived that. We’re really worried about that, so I’ve asked them to bring in people that can make this happen.”
Oliveira said that actors are currently being selected, but can’t disclose much.
“We’re working on it,” Oliveira said. “The team is working on that, everybody’s focused on making it something gigantic. But what I can tell you all is that I’ve asked the whole team of producers to portrait me as who I truly am. I want the truth to be in the film. I want those that will go to the movies or sit down at home and be able to watch and feel the emotion of what I’ve lived.”
The Chute Boxe talent said, however, that having a fight booked for mid-October means his current focus is on beating Fiziev in his first fight in Brazil since 2020.
“Don’t keep bringing me things because I have to simply focus on this, training and dedicating,” Oliveira said. “But what I really asked them was to bring people that will be willing to do this.”
Oliveira still found time, however, to shoot commercials for an important deal with The Rock’s Project Rock, a gym-focused apparel line with Under Armour.
“They have a partnership with the UFC, and mentioned my name, and we signed a contract,” Oliveira said. “It was surreal. Three days of surreal shooting, starting in the morning and ending at night. Filming my training, my day-to-day. Clothes, shoes, everything.”
“[My manager] Diego [Lima] called me [Wednesday] night and said, ‘Man, The Rock wants to do a collab with you [on Instagram].’ I was like, ‘Who?’ And he said, ‘The Rock!’ I was so happy. That’s what I say all the time about legacy, something gigantic for me. I got so many texts saying, ‘Brother, it’s The Rock!’ It is, brother! We’re so happy. We have something gigantic done and some things are already out. First a picture, and now the video collab he posted, so I’m very happy.”
“To know where I came from, where I am and where I want to be,” he continued. “And all that without losing my humbleness, being the same Charles. You know that, you’ve interviewed me many times.I’ve never changed. But to know where I came from, the back of my grandmother’s house, to where I live today. Having the biggest [Hollywood] star doing a collab with me. That’s incredible, and that’s why I have to thank God and be grateful.”
