UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira wants to cement himself as an all-time great with a potential run at ‘champ-champ’ status in MMA.
Oliveira most recently defeated Dustin Poirier at UFC 269 via third-round submission, in what many felt was the true lightweight title matchup after Khabib Nurmagomedov retired. After a rocky start to his UFC career, he’s managed a dramatic turnaround and is widely regarded as one of the best fighters on the planet.
Oliveira began his career at featherweight, falling short against top names such as Max Holloway and Frankie Edgar. A series of weight-cutting issues forced the Brazilian to move up to lightweight, and it has paid off in a big way.
Many, including Oliveira himself, have speculated what could be next for the UFC champion. Justin Gaethje is the clear No. 1 contender at lightweight, but a Conor McGregor money fight is also apparently on the table.
But during a recent interview with MMA Fighting, Oliveira pointed to the possibility of pursuing multiple world titles, including fights with Alexander Volkanovski and Kamaru Usman.
Charles Oliveira Hints At Double Champion Pursuit
“I really thought I couldn’t drop to 145 anymore,” Oliveira said, “But this last weight cut, I was really [close to] 155 before the fight with this work we’ve been doing, with lots of water in the body, and we believe we could easily make 145.
“If I had the opportunity to go straight for the 145 belt, I’d move down to fight. Also, if I had the opportunity to go straight for the 170 belt, I’d also move up to fight, but I believe it’s more viable to [drop down] to 145 instead of going to 170 at this moment.”
Both Usman and Volkanovski are awaiting their next title challengers in 2022. Volkanovski was supposed to fight Holloway in a trilogy before an injury canceled the bout, and is targeting a potential fight with Chan Sung Jung at UFC 272. Usman is fresh off his rematch win over Colby Covington.
Oliveira has bigger ambitions than solely the lightweight title, and he has the potential to add to his accolades in 2022.
Who should Charles Oliveira face next?