Charles Oliveira suffered a first-round knockout loss to Ilia Topuria, raising question marks over his future.
Oliveira missed out on becoming the UFC Lightweight Champion, taking his record to 35-11, 1 NC. Charles previously lost the title to Islam Makhachev before bouncing back with a win over Michael Chandler. Oliveira had the chance to make history, becoming the first fighter to win the lightweight belt on separate occasions. The loss means Oliveira will have to focus on another route.
He could take a fight against a top-ranked contender. There are possible fights against the likes of Arman Tsarukyan and Beneil Dariush. Oliveira lost to Arman at UFC 300 in a split decision loss. Arman has not had a fight since then after he pulled out of the Islam fight due to injury. The Arman rematch gives Oliveira a chance of a fight against the leading contender. Meanwhile, Oliveira stopped Dariush in the first round at UFC 289. However, since then, Dariush has bounced back. A defeat to Arman was followed by a win against Renato Moicano in his last fight.
Elsewhere, Justin Gaethje could become an option. Justin has said he does not want to fight again unless it is for a title shot. Dana White responded by suggesting that perhaps it is the right time for Justin to hang up his gloves. Gaethje secured a unanimous decision win against Rafael Fiziev in his last fight, meaning Oliveira could become an alternative if Justin doesn’t get Topuria. However, at 35 years old, Oliveira must question how long he has left in the sport. He has had issues with the weight cut, making it much more difficult the older he gets.
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