The UFC has less than three weeks to find Charles Oliveira an opponent to headline its return to Brazil.
Oliveira (35-11 MMA, 23-11 UFC) was set to headline UFC Fight Night 261 against Rafael Fiziev (13-4 MMA, 7-4 UFC) on Oct. 11 at Farmasi Arena in Rio de Janeiro (ESPN+) until Fiziev pulled out with an injury.
According to Oliveira, a former lightweight champion, there has been no shortage of potential opponents who have said they’d take the fight – but then the call comes and, Oliveira said, suddenly they can’t make the party.
Dive inside the numbers over Oliveira’s career, and there’s likely a reason he wants to stay on the card in his home country. And on the flip side, there’s probably that same reason why most opponents aren’t jumping at the chance to go to Rio to fight him.
Over the course of his entire career, dating back nearly 18 years, Oliveira never has lost in Brazil. He’s 17-0 there. And just as remarkable, 16 of those 17 fights on his home turf have been stoppages. It’s been 16 years since he’s been to a decision in Brazil.
And those aren’t just chock-filled with early regional fights, either. In the UFC, Oliveira is 6-0 in Brazil with six finishes and post-fight bonuses in each of those bouts – including a double bonus 10 years ago. He also broke the UFC’s all-time submissions record in Brazil in 2018 in front of his home fans.
That said, Oliveira hasn’t fought in Brazil since 2020 in the last pre-COVID event. Since then, he won the lightweight title (and had to vacate it) and the level of his opposition has seen a surge over the names he’s beaten in Brazil in the UFC: Andy Ogle, Nik Lentz, Christos Giagos, David Teymur, Jared Gordon and Kevin Lee.
Stay tuned to MMA Junkie this week for news of Oliveira’s potential new opponent.
