UFC BMF champion Charles Oliveira has made his argument for why he should be next in line to fight UFC lightweight champion Justin Gaethje.
Now that Gaethje has defeated Ilia Topuria to become the new UFC lightweight champion, everyone at 155 lbs is gunning for him.
We know that Topuria wants a rematch, and we know that Arman Tsarukyan wants his chance to fight for the belt. We also know that Oliveira wants to fight Gaethje in a double title fight, with both the lightweight and BMF belts on the line.
It’s important to keep in mind that Oliveira and Gaethje fought in 2022, with Oliveira submitting Gaethje after an early knockdown. Now, four years later, Oliveira is willing to give Gaethje his chance to get revenge and get the BMF title back, while Oliveira will get a chance to reclaim the UFC lightweight title.
Charles Oliveira Wants Justin Gaethje Next
Speaking to Action Network in a recent interview, Oliveira made it clear he believes he is next in line to fight Gaethje for the UFC lightweight title.
“I don’t think Justin is going to ask for a rematch. He’s operating at a different level now as champion. But I’m right there in the queue to be the next title challenger. So why not make that fight? To be completely honest, the last few times I spoke with Diego (Lopes) I kept saying that we needed to wait until after this White House event to understand what the next step would be. If Topuria won, whether he would move up a division or stay where he was. If Gaethje won, what would happen then? So that’s what we did: we stopped and waited. We don’t know whether Gaethje is going to retire or not. That’s what he said himself, that he needed to speak to his mother and let the night pass before making a decision. So we’re waiting,” Oliveira said.
“In my mind, I believe I’m next in line for a title shot. We need to understand the timing of everything and see what happens. I’ve spoken a lot about the São Paulo event, which, if I’m not mistaken, is scheduled for October. That would be a good date as well. But for now, we’re waiting. But what I always tell everyone is this: if you want to become champion, you have to go where the belt is. For me, the location doesn’t matter. Wherever it is, I’ll be ready. And there would be a lot of people backing me, supporting me and cheering for me. It would be huge. It would be amazing.”
Justin Gaethje Not Retiring
In the wake of his win over Topuria at UFC Freedom 250, Gaethje said that he was thinking about retirement, but that he had to talk to his family first.
Speaking to Joe Rogan this past weekend on his podcast, Gaethje said that he will continue to fight on as he doesn’t feel a burning desire in his heart to step away from the game that he loves.
Will he fight Oliveira next, or will he fight Tsarukyan? Or perhaps Conor McGregor steals the title shot? We don’t know yet, but we are sure to find out in the coming months as everyone is gunning for “The Highlight” now that he holds UFC lightweight gold.
Charles Oliveira Makes Argument for Justin Gaethje Rematch