In December 1993 he challenged Zack Padilla for the WBO world super-lightweight title, losing on points in a fight that broke records for the number of punches thrown and landed,[3] a fate repeated four months later when he challenged for Jake Rodriguez's IBF title.

In November 1997 he moved up to welterweight to challenge for Vernon Forrest's WBC Continental Americas title, losing by a wide unanimous decision.

After a win over the previously-unbeaten Vivian Harris in February 2000, in December that year he regained the NABF super-lightweight title, beating former world champion Vince Phillips by majority decision, but again lost it in his first defence to Ben Tackle.

He lost the title in May that year to Elio Ortiz, but regained it October 2004 with a unanimous points win over Hicklet Lau.

[8] Oliveira fought only once more – an eighth-round stoppage loss to Emanuel Augustus; He began experiencing serious pains at the base of his skull midway through the fight, as well as loss of feeling in his arms and shaking, and the referee stopped the bout after noticing that Augustus was avoiding throwing punches to Oliveira's head.