Charles Oliveira eyes title shot, wants answers from Gaethje
The Brazilian says that if he gets past Diego Lopes at UFC 335, he believes he will be next in line for the lightweight title.
Charles Oliveira wants another shot at the UFC lightweight title. In an interview with Sherdog’s Marcelo Alonso published Wednesday, the Brazilian said he sees himself as the next challenger if he beats Diego Lopes at UFC 335 on December 12 in Las Vegas.
Before talking about his own future, though, Oliveira asked for clarity from champion Justin Gaethje, who has floated retirement and has not confirmed whether he will fight again.
What Oliveira said about Gaethje
“The first step is for the UFC to sit down with Gaethje and find out exactly what he plans to do,” Oliveira said. According to the Brazilian, Gaethje has said he won’t fight again this year but would take a fight with Conor McGregor.
Oliveira sees two scenarios. “If he doesn’t retire, it could be Arman or me against Gaethje,” he said, referring to Arman Tsarukyan. If Gaethje walks away, Oliveira believes he and Tsarukyan should fight for the vacant belt.
“If I get past Diego, I think my name carries weight, and I believe I’ll be next in line for a shot at the undisputed title,” he said, before giving his rival credit: “Obviously, Arman deserves it too.”
The BMF title fight against Diego Lopes
First, Oliveira has to defend the BMF belt, the UFC’s symbolic title, against Lopes in December. Lopes, also from Brazil, has already fought for the featherweight title and will make his lightweight debut in Las Vegas. The card also features Alex Pereira against Sergei Pavlovich at heavyweight.
Oliveira won the BMF belt in March at UFC 326, beating Max Holloway by unanimous decision. He got there with takedowns and control on the mat, and some fans complained that the approach did not fit the spirit of the BMF title.
Oliveira is not bothered. “I completely neutralized his game. So, I don’t care what people say,” he told Sherdog, adding that he is now “fighting more strategically, with greater awareness.”
Oliveira’s submission résumé
His confidence is backed by numbers. Oliveira is 37-11, with 22 wins by submission. In the UFC, he holds the records for most submission wins, with 17, and most finishes, with 21. He is currently ranked No. 3 at lightweight.
He has also beaten Gaethje before. In May 2022, at UFC 274, Oliveira submitted him with a first-round rear-naked choke. He had already lost the title on the scale, after weighing in half a pound over the limit, so he could not leave the Octagon as champion.
The road back has been longer since then. In June 2025, Ilia Topuria knocked Oliveira out in the first round. A year later, Gaethje beat that same Topuria at the UFC event at the White House to take the belt. Oliveira is not the only Brazilian chasing gold right now: Carlos Prates is closing in on a welterweight title fight.
What do you think: does Charles Oliveira deserve the next lightweight title shot, or is it Arman Tsarukyan’s turn? Let us know in the comments.
Read more:
- Carlos Prates vs. Makhachev targeted for UFC 336 in Toronto
- Alex Pereira accuses UFC of manipulating fans to book Gane vs. Hokit
