Charles Oliveira sure knows how to make an entrance.
On Oct. 22, the former UFC lightweight champion looks to reclaim the title he lost on the scale when he faces Islam Makhachev in the main event of UFC 280 in Abu Dhabi. But before getting in the cage with arguably his most dangerous opponent to date, “Do Bronx” took a leisurely stroll with another one of nature’s apex predators: a lion.
On Wednesday, Oliveira posted pictures and videos to his Instagram showing him walking and playing with a white lion, captioning the post, “Lion walks with lions, who doesn’t like it respect my story.”
Oliveira’s big cat experience was at the compound of Humaid Al Buqaish, a wealthy Instagram influencer who runs a private zoo outside of Dubai. Professional boxer Mahmoud Charr posted a similar video with the same lion earlier this week on his own Instagram.
UFC 280 takes place at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi and airs on ESPN+ pay-per-view.