Charles Oliveira has shared a deeply emotional reflection on the sacrifices his parents made to help him pursue a career in combat sports — sacrifices that, he says, made all the difference between success and obscurity.
In a post-fight interview, he recounted how his family’s unwavering belief carried him through poverty and hardship growing up in the favelas of Sao Paulo.
With tears in his eyes, Oliveira spoke about the choices his parents made, particularly his father, who often went without to ensure his sons could train and compete:
If my father and mother hadn’t believed in me, I would have NEVER made it here.
They stopped paying for their own things to put my brother and me through jiu-jitsu.
The reality of their sacrifice went far beyond tightening the family budget.
Oliveira revealed that his father secretly diverted money meant for household bills to cover jiu-jitsu competition fees:
He would stop paying for his own things to be able to put me and my brother in championships.
My mother would ask if a bill had been paid, and he would say yes — but it was a lie.
He had used the money to pay for our events instead.
For Oliveira, those moments of quiet selflessness remain the foundation of his story.
His parents’ willingness to struggle so their children could pursue opportunity turned dreams into reality:
If he hadn’t done all of this for me, I wouldn’t be here to create this beautiful story.
And he knows how much I love him, how much all of this is for him.
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