Fight fans’ hearts may have ached when they learned Rafael Fiziev is out of the UFC Fight Night 261 main event vs. Charles Oliveira, but there seems to be solid options for a Plan B.
Two top contenders took to social media almost immediately to raise their hands for the opportunity to step into the Oct. 11 headliner at Farmasi Arena in Rio de Janeiro.
The first was Mateusz Gamrot, who currently sits at No. 8 in the UFC lightweight rankings and is 4-1 in his most recent five.
“I’m ready and hungry to jump in!!” Gamrot wrote on X. “Come on ufc.”
Then the always vocal Renato Moicano, who is officially ranked No. 11, chimed in. He first tweeted the eyeballs emoji, and then followed it up with a campaigning video on his YouTube channel that offered a lengthy explanation.
“Between Mateusz Gamrot and Renato Moicano, which would you rather watch in Brazil?” Moicano said in Portuguese.
One other contender who could be in play is Benoit Saint Denis, who is ranked No. 13 in the UFC lightweight rankings. While he hasn’t spoken publicly on the opening, he did recently say he’d be ready and willing to replace either man if someone withdrew.
“I will accept any opportunity the UFC is giving me to fight somebody in the top 10,” Saint Denis said Sept. 8 on “The Ariel Helwani Show“. “… As soon as possible that I get this opportunity, I’m ready to step up. I’m even looking at Fiziev and Oliveira if somebody gets injured.”
It’s unknown what conversations are happening behind closed doors, or what other volunteers have perhaps emerged behind the scenes. What is known is the UFC has 21 days until fight night. Only time will tell who will win the Oliveira sweepstakes.
