Who is Charles Oliveira likeliest to face in his first UFC lightweight title defence?
Charles Oliveira succeeded Khabib Nurmagomedov as the UFC lightweight champion when he overcame Michael Chandler in a nail-biting headliner at UFC 262. After 11 years and 28 fights in the promotion, 'Do Bronx' finally claimed the lightweight throne which had been lying vacant since Khabib's retirement at UFC 254.
The UFC 262 headliner started brilliantly for Michael Chandler as he had Oliveira hurt within the first few minutes before jumping into a guillotine. Owing to his elite Jiu-Jitsu skills, Oliveira was able to break free and work his way to Chandler's back.
Although the fight remained there for a minute, Charles Oliveira was unable to secure a submission and Chandler got back on his feet. Once on his feet, Chandler dropped Oliveira with a flurry but the Brazilian survived to see the end of the first round.
The momentum would shift drastically in the second round as Charles Oliveira dropped Michael Chandler with a left hook. Oliveira chased down his opponent with precise strikes before referee Dan Miragliotta called a stop to the contest at 00:19 in round 2.
Oliveira is currently riding a nine-fight win streak which includes eight finishes.
Next potential opponent for Charles Oliveira
In a stacked lightweight division, it is indeed intriguing to know who Charles Oliveira will face in his first title defense. The most likely opponent for Oliveira at this point would be the winner of the upcoming trilogy fight between Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier.
Oliveira has even expressed interest in a showdown against Conor McGregor in Brazil. Responding to the Irishman's tweet, which wasn't provocative by his standards, Charles Oliveira said in his post-fight interview-
"Conor, worry about Dustin. Then we’ll talk about it.”
Of a potential title-defense on his home soil, 'Do Bronx' said-
"That would be fantastic. Conor, since you’re so tough, first of all, you beat Dustin, and then come over to Brazil and I’ll put you on your ass.”
Charles Oliveira further said-
"I battled hard to get here. Everybody’s talking about who it’s going to be next, Poirier or Conor. I’ll leave that to my manager, and I’m going to go home and rest.”
Conor McGregor previously lost to Dustin Poirier in the main-event at UFC 257 which also served as a rematch of their featherweight bout dating back to 2014. While McGregor knocked out Poirier in the first round during their first matchup at UFC 178, 'The Diamond' won the rematch via a 2nd-round TKO. With things tied at 1-1, a trilogy fight was immediately mooted and soon confirmed for UFC 264.
The victory also put Dustin Poirier in line for a shot at the UFC lightweight title which he chose to forgo in favor of his trilogy fight against McGregor. The economic benefits of headlining a card with Conor McGregor outweighed the pull of the lightweight title for Dustin Poirier.
While the winner of the trilogy fight is expected to get a shot at the lightweight strap, Charles Oliveira has another deserving opponent in Justin Gaethje. The #2 ranked contender Justin Gaethje might have been sidelined during recent lightweight action but should not be ruled out by any means.
in his last outing, Gaethje made an unsuccessful bid for the lightweight strap against former champion Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 254. Khabib submitted Justin Gaethje with a triangle at 01:34 in round 2 before announcing his retirement from the sport.
Prior to that, Justin Gaethje was riding a four-fight win streak that included violent finishes over James Vick, Edson Barboza, Donald Cerrone and Tony Ferguson. Given his strong wrestling background, 'The Highlight' definitely poses a threat to Charles Oliveira as a title contender.
According to UFC president Dana White, Gaethje fits in well in the title picture and might even be next in line for a title shot against Charles Oliveira depending on the circumstances. Dana White told media in the post-fight press conference at UFC 260-
“He fits very well in all this. Depending on how this plays out, he’s probably next in line depending on what happens with Dustin and Conor. You know how that is, timing is everything, when these fights happen, how much damage did the guy who won take, and what kind of personal shit does he have going on. You know all that stuff factors into when the next fight would be but Justin Gaethje couldn’t be in a better position.”