Charles Oliveira has no fight booked and has not yet begun negotiations with the UFC, according to his manager and head coach Diego Lima. The BMF titleholder recently returned to training following the death of teammate Allan Nascimento and is targeting a return before the end of 2026, likely on a November or December numbered event. Oliveira's preferred next fight is a rematch with lightweight champion Justin Gaethje, though Lima also identified Arman Tsarukyan and Diego Lopes as strong potential opponents if a title shot is not immediately available.
Charles Oliveira has no fight booked and has not entered negotiations with the UFC, his manager and head coach Diego Lima confirmed, though the former lightweight champion is targeting a return to competition before the end of 2026 — most likely on a November or December numbered event.
Oliveira, 36, recently resumed training after stepping away following the death of teammate Allan Nascimento. Ranked third in the lightweight division and eleventh pound-for-pound, the Brazilian holds a 37-11 record and carries one of the most dangerous submission games in MMA history, averaging 2.6 submission attempts per 15 minutes. Standing five-foot-ten with a 74-inch reach, "Do Bronxs" also lands 3.35 significant strikes per minute at 54 percent accuracy and has added consistent wrestling to his arsenal, averaging 2.22 takedowns per 15 minutes.
Lima named a rematch with lightweight champion Justin Gaethje as Oliveira's primary target. Gaethje, 37, holds a 28-5 record and is among the division's most relentless pressure fighters, landing a division-leading 6.48 significant strikes per minute at 58 percent accuracy. The American stands five-foot-eleven with a 70-inch reach and has built his title reign on volume striking and forward aggression rather than grappling.
If a title shot is not immediately available, Lima pointed to second-ranked contender Arman Tsarukyan and Diego Lopes as credible alternatives. Tsarukyan, 29, carries a 23-3 record and is one of the division's most active wrestlers at 3.26 takedowns per 15 minutes, which would present a contrasting stylistic challenge to Oliveira's submission-heavy game.
Why it matters
- Oliveira's return could reshape the top of a 155-pound division that remains unsettled behind the champion
- A Gaethje rematch would carry immediate title implications; Tsarukyan or Lopes would still likely serve as a title eliminator
- The late-2026 window leaves room for the UFC to finalize a card placement once negotiations begin
