Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Charles Oliveira has done pretty well for himself in the UFC, and the former lightweight champion recently improved his record after beating Mateusz Gamrot in Brazil. It didn’t take him very long to add another win to his résumé, as he rode his horse to victory while serving as a jockey at a race in Argentina.
There are a number of professional athletes who’ve made a name for themselves in one particular sport who can more than hold their own in other athletic realms.
Steph Curry, Tony Romo, and John Smoltz are just some of the notable names who are a force to be reckoned with on the golf course, and Deion Sanders and Bo Jackson were talented to the point where they were able to balance careers in the MLB and NFL.
Charlies Oliveira is best known for what he’s achieved as a fighter in the UFC; he secured the Lightweight Championship in 2021 and holds the record for the most submissions and finishes (17 and 21, respectively) thanks to what he’s achieved during a career spanning 15 years.
The 36-year-old Brazilian improved to 36-11 as a pro when Mateusz Gamrot became the latest fighter to fall victim to one of his submissions in Rio de Janiero on October 11th, and while that fight wasn’t for a title, he was able to earn one a week later at a horse race in Argentina.
Charles Oliveira won a championship as a horse jockey at a harness racing event in Argentina
Nikola Jokic has made a name for himself in the NBA, but his passion for basketball is arguably dwarfed by the love of the harness racing that seems to be his true passion.
Jokic owns and oversees a stable of horses in his native Serbia, and while there’s zero doubt he would have loved to pursue a career as a jockey, that’s a bit hard to do when you’re someone who’s officially listed as 6’11” and 284 pounds.
Oliveira, on the other hand, is a slightly more qualified candidate, as the 5’10” fighter tipped the scales at 156 lbs. ahead of his win over Gamrot. He’s still a giant compared to traditional jockeys, although his weight is less of a hindrance in harness racing compared to traditional thoroughbred competitions.
On Sunday, Oliveira was hitched to his horse, Gora Melmerby Escorpion, during a national race at Hipódromo de Lincoln in Argentina, and he took a victory lap on Instagram after they topped the rest of the field with a time of 2:00.78 as the steed got its 13th career victory.
He sadly didn’t have a UFC championship belt to “give” to his horse after the win, but that doesn’t make the victory any less sweet.