A bout between Diego Lopes and Charles Oliveira is being developed for UFC 335, scheduled for December 12. The matchup has not yet been officially confirmed by the promotion.
A featherweight-versus-lightweight clash between Diego Lopes and Charles Oliveira is reportedly in development for UFC 335, the card targeted for December 12, though the promotion has yet to make any official announcement.
Lopes enters the conversation riding momentum as one of the featherweight division's most dangerous contenders. The 31-year-old Brazilian holds a 28-8-0 record and currently sits second in the featherweight rankings. Training out of Lobo Gym MMA, the six-foot-one orthodox striker lands 3.83 significant strikes per minute and carries a 72-inch reach. He is not ranked pound-for-pound, but his divisional standing makes him one of the more prominent names at 145 pounds.
Oliveira, meanwhile, is a certified star at lightweight. "Do Bronxs" is 37-11-0 and ranked third in the lightweight division, sitting 11th on the pound-for-pound list at age 36. The Chute Boxe Diego Lima product is widely regarded as one of the most complete submission artists in MMA history, averaging 2.6 submission attempts per 15 minutes to go alongside a takedown rate of 2.22 per 15 minutes. Standing five-foot-ten with a 74-inch reach, the orthodox Brazilian also brings genuine striking volume at 3.35 significant strikes per minute.
Why it matters
- Lopes would be stepping up a weight class, adding a layer of intrigue to the stylistic matchup
- Oliveira, ranked third at lightweight, could use a high-profile win to push back toward title contention
- Both fighters are aggressive finishers, making a potential meeting between them a noteworthy event on any card
- With UFC 335 still several months away, the timeline allows room for negotiations to either solidify or fall apart
