Charles Oliveira not keen on Justin Gaethje fight; wants a title shot next
Charles Oliveira has made it absolutely clear that he wants his next fight to be for the UFC lightweight title and not a #1 contender's fight against Justin Gaethje.
The Brazilian doesn't care whether he faces Khabib Nurmagomedov or the winner of the upcoming UFC 257 headliner between Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier; all he wants is a shot at the lightweight strap up next.
In response to a fan asking him whether he's fighting Justin Gaethje, 'Do Bronx' tweeted, saying that he is solely focused on fighting for the title next and has no interest in fighting Gaethje whatsoever. This comes after UFC president Dana White recently stated that the promotion is planning on booking a matchup between Charles Oliveira and Justin Gaethje in the near future.
However, even though he is in the know about his boss' plans, Charles Oliveira believes he's done enough to get a crack at the title next, and that's the fight he is looking forward to.
Charles Oliveira's manager claims he deserves a title shot next
In a recent interview with MMA Fighting, Oliveira’s manager and coach Diego Lima echoed similar sentiments as his star pupil. According to him, Oliveira deserves a shot at the title because of the impressive winning streak he has put together and how he dominated Tony Ferguson, a former interim lightweight champion.
"He [Charles] dominated Ferguson all around—and Ferguson is one of the best of the division, won 12 straight before losing a title fight—so I think Charles is ready and has enough credibility to fight for the belt,” said Lima.
Oliveira's manager argued that Gaethje got completely dominated by Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 254 and that the promotion needs to keep that in mind. He further stated that the logical thing to do would be to pit Charles against the winner of McGregor vs. Poirier next.
“With all due respect, Khabib ran over [Gaethje]. That must count, and a lot. I believe Charles’ next fight has to be for the belt against the winner of Poirier and McGregor, not Justin Gaethje. But we know this fight between Poirier and McGregor involves a lot of things. We know that Poirier winning means one thing, and McGregor winning changes the whole scenario.”
Who do you think Charles Oliveira should fight next? Sound off in the comments section.