TUF Live Finale: 4 Questions We Have About Charles Oliveira

After debuting in the 145-pound weight division with smashing success, Charles Oliveira has his sights set on climbing the featherweight ladder.

Next stop: Jonathan Brookins.

The 22-year-old Brazilian will clash with the TUF champion June 1, as part of The Ultimate Fighter Live Finale. 

Heading into the event, the contest between Oliveira and Brookins stands as one of the night's most intriguing matchups.

For starters, rarely are two highly regarded prospects pitted against one another so early in their careers. Additionally, the fight should tell a great deal about either participant, as both guys will have the opportunity to answer some questions surrounding them.

Here, we will look at the questions we have about Charles Oliveira and examine how Friday night's fight will play a role in answering those questions.

Can He Stop a Takedown?

We know he can strike. We know he can grapple. But can he deal with a strong wrestler?

There is a school of thought that suggests a fighter like Charles Oliveira, who is equally comfortable striking or grappling, needs not concern himself with the medium that dictates which of these skill sets determines the outcome of the fight.

This, however, is a very incipient way of thinking.

While it is unrealistic to expect Oliveira to outmatch Brookins in the wrestling theater of Friday's bout, the resistance he puts up will stand as a good indication of how far his formerly non-existent wrestling skills have come.

If he is able to take the easy takedown away from Brookins and make him earn his shots it could go a long way in helping Oliveira to win the fight. And not just this fight, the next one too, and all the ones after that.

If Oliveira enters the bout entirely carefree of where he combats Brookins, he'll be down to one weapon—off the back submission attempts.

Granted, that is a deadly weapon for Oliveira, but why limit your arsenal when the other options are equally dangerous?

Friday's contest should be an indicator of how Oliveira's wrestling is coming along.

Will the Drop in Weight Give Him a Strength Advantage?

This isn't Oliveira's first featherweight fight in the UFC, but the 1:43 win over Eric Wisely is a pretty small sample size to base any great assumption on.

Oliveira is not a particularly thickly built fighter and he was regularly out-muscled at 155 pounds. Even at 145, he does not look big, but there are many wiry fighters in MMA with deceptive strength. If Oliveira joins that list. he'll find his new division much more accommodating than he hoped.

Again, Brookins is a tough fighter to run a trial against, being on the strong side himself. But, even if we don't expect Oliveira to bully the TUF alum around the Octagon, the resistance he puts up will be telling.

Brookins is a move-forward, grinding, pressuring fighter. He will consistently test Oliveira's strength, and whether he can rag-doll the Brazilian or barely budge him will show the effects of Oliveira's divisional change.

How's the Cardio?

Since arriving in the UFC, Oliveira has yet to go the distance and has only gone past the 6:48 mark one time.

There have been no red flags to indicate that endurance is a problem for the Brazilian, but until he definitively shows that he is equipped to go the distance, his capacity to do so is uncertain.

Once again, Brookins will provide a solid test Friday night. That the American's style is so physically taxing on his opponents will surely give a good indication of how prepared Oliveira is in the cardio department.

Of course, this test could be foiled by an early stoppage. But if it does go the distance, be assured that the 15 minutes will not be coasted through.

Oliveira's cardio may have a significant bearing on the outcome of Friday's fight, and what he shows us then will either put the question to rest or bring it to the surface.

How Good Is He Really?

Since his arrival in the UFC we as fans of mixed martial arts have been programmed to believe that Charles Oliveira is a phenom, on track to become a super star.

So far, he has amassed a 3-2 record in the UFC losing both times by stoppage. Equally alarming is that his most impressive win came over Efrain Escudero.

Yes, Oliveira is just 22 and is now participating in a lighter weight class, but the numbers to date suggest that he might just be flash over substance.

On the other hand, he has had some pretty impressive moments in the Octagon. Calf slicer, anyone?

At this point, the jury is still out on just how good Oliveira actually is versus how good we are told that he is. To complicate matters, we still don't know how good he can and will be, but that is a matter for another debate.

Friday night's fight against Jonathan Brookins is, in a contest between two up-and-comers, ironically about the present. The fight will show us just where Charles Oliveira stands in the featherweight division, and just how good of a mixed martial artist he truly is.