Mica Galvao and Charles Oliveira recently participated in a joint training session, with some footage shared of the intense sparring between the two athletes. Both individuals are at the very top of their respective sports, with Galvao regarded as one of the premier lightweight grapplers globally and Oliveira ranked highly in the UFC lightweight division. While Oliveira is better known as an MMA fighter, he originally competed very successfully in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competitions, similar to Galvao.
Not only did Oliveira achieve success as a BJJ competitor early in his combat sports career, he has applied those skills to great effect in his MMA career as well. He currently holds the UFC record for most submission finishes and overall finishes, having defeated several elite opponents. Though his focus has been MMA for years, Oliveira has continued developing his grappling abilities and occasionally returns to BJJ competition.
The video clearly shows Oliveira providing stiff competition to Galvao during their sparring, indicative of Oliveira’s ability to still perform at the highest levels of the sport. This is impressive against any top young competitor, but Galvao is widely considered a generational talent. Having nearly become the youngest IBJJF World Champion, Galvao was stripped of the title after a doping violation suspension, which has now been served. He is working towards regaining his status as a 2024 world champion.
The footage of Oliveira sparring with Galvao was uploaded to Galvao’s official Instagram account in a recent post.
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