Charles Oliveira will face Arman Tsarukyan at UFC 300 on April 13. The matchup was first announced by UFC CEO Dana White on January 7.
"#1 ranked lightweight Charles Oliveira is taking on #4 ranked Arman Tsarukyan in a number one contender fight," White announced on X.
White also announced a five-round co-main event between Dustin Poirier and Benoit Saint-Denis for UFC 299 on March 9.
Oliveira was originally slated to rematch Islam Makhachev in the main event of UFC 294 back in October 2023. "Do Bronx" had to withdraw from the matchup after suffering a laceration on his eyebrow in training.
Oliveira's last bout was in June 2023, where he promptly TKO'd top lightweight contender Beneil Dariush in the first round.
Tsarukyan also fought Dariush in his last appearance, knocking out the Iranian-American fighter in just over a minute. This win pushed Tsarukyan's winning streak to three after a contentious decision loss to Mateusz Gamrot in June 2022. 15 of 22 media members scored the bout in favor of Tsarukyan. His three-fight winning streak is more of a nine-fight streak to many fans.
The only other man to defeat Tsarukyan in the UFC was lightweight champion Islam Makhachev back in 2019. Tsarukyan was soundly beaten in a unanimous decision, but he did steal a round according to one judge.
As White mentions, Tsarukyan vs. Oliveira at UFC 300 is a number one contender fight. The winner will undoubtedly get their shot at Makhachev, and the opportunity to avenge one of their most decisive losses.
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