🚨BREAKING: Charles Oliveira will return at UFC 335 to defend his BMF belt against Diego Lopes in the co-main event. Do Bronx was originally set to fight Arman Tsarukyan at UFC 331, but stepped away after the tragic passing of his close friend Allan Nascimento. He tried pushing for a title shot against Justin Gaethje instead, but the UFC shut that down fast, refusing to hand him a belt opportunity off a pull-out. Now, he gets an absolute war with Lopes to close out his year and defend his BMF title.
Charles Oliveira is set to return to the octagon at UFC 335, where he will defend the BMF title against Diego Lopes in the co-main event.
Oliveira, 36, was originally booked to face Arman Tsarukyan at UFC 331 but withdrew following the death of his close friend Allan Nascimento. The Brazilian subsequently sought a lightweight title shot against Justin Gaethje, but the UFC declined to offer him a championship opportunity coming off a pullout. The BMF matchup with Lopes now serves as his return and his first defense of that belt. Ranked third in the lightweight division and eleventh pound-for-pound at 37-11, Do Bronx brings a suffocating submission game to the cage, averaging 2.6 submission attempts per 15 minutes alongside 2.22 takedowns in the same span. He also lands 3.35 significant strikes per minute at 54 percent accuracy, one of the higher marks in the division.
Lopes, 31, makes the step up from featherweight, where he is ranked second, to take on the challenge. The fellow Brazilian carries a 28-8 record and is one of the busier strikers on the roster, averaging 3.83 significant strikes per minute. Standing five-foot-eleven with a 72-inch reach, Lopes plays an aggressive, high-output game that figures to push Oliveira from the opening bell.
Why it matters
- Oliveira's BMF title is on the line, raising the stakes beyond a typical return bout
- A Lopes win would thrust a featherweight contender into the lightweight conversation overnight
- The style contrast is stark: Oliveira's elite grappling threat meets Lopes's volume striking
- Both men are Brazilian, adding a regional dimension rarely seen in a BMF title setting
