So here we go again. Just weeks out from UFC Rio, the promotion’s in panic mode. Rafael Fiziev, Charles Oliveira’s big dance partner, is out with an undisclosed injury. October 11th at Jeunesse Arena was supposed to be a homecoming showcase for Do Bronx, and now? The card’s without a headliner, fans are restless, and the UFC’s matchmaking team is on the phones 24/7 trying to salvage this thing.

Immediately, you saw the vultures circling. Lightweight contenders like Benoît Saint-Denis and Mateusz Gamrot threw their hats in the ring. Tweets started flying. Callouts were made. But then—Charles Oliveira shut it all down. And not politely either. But Oliveira wasn’t impressed. ‘Do Bronxs’ slammed the would-be challengers, accusing them of wasting a golden opportunity when the UFC actually called. It became a story about who really deserves to share the Octagon with a legend in Rio.

Charles Oliveira draws interest from Diego Lopes ahead of UFC Rio

After Charles Oliveira dismissed the lightweight contenders, Mateusz Gamrot, Dustin Poirier’s former teammate at ATT, stepped forward to make his case as a worthy opponent.’Do Bronxs’ , however, politely shut down the challenge, saying, “With all respect, I am not looking behind, just forward.” His response underscored the gap in ranking and status between the two fighters, effectively closing the door on Gamrot’s offer. Amid the uncertainty, a new contender has emerged from the featherweight division.

Diego Lopes, fresh off a victory at UFC Paris earlier this month, signaled his readiness to face Charles Oliveira at UFC Rio, less than a month away. Speaking with Laerte Viana, Lopes made his intentions clear: “Of course, why not? Of course I’d accept, especially because Charles is a legend. And like I’ve always said man, I’ll never turn down a fight. If you think I’m the right guy to fight him and you call me, then definitely yes, no problem, without even thinking twice.”

The Brazilian didn’t dismiss Mateusz Gamrot just because of rankings—he saw a mismatch in styles. Speaking with Viana, Charles Oliveira explained he built his camp for a striker, not a wrestler, to avoid a repeat of the Tony Ferguson fiasco from 2020. Back then, when COVID-19 forced Khabib Nurmagomedov out, Ferguson took a short-notice fight against Justin Gaethje. Six months of wrestling prep went out the window, leaving him scrambling against Gaethje’s strike-heavy assault—a brutal mismatch that ultimately triggered Ferguson’s downfall and paved the way for his retirement.

Meanwhile, Lopes thrives on chaos inside the cage. The featherweight standout blends explosive Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu—killer submissions like knee bars and armbars—with aggressive striking and opportunistic back-elbow knockouts. At UFC Paris, he left Jean Silva bloodied inside the Accor Arena, proving exactly why he’s a rising threat.

Gamrot speaks out following Charles Oliveira’s rejection

Mateusz Gamrot has been turning heads in the UFC since his debut, quickly establishing himself as one of the lightweight division’s most dangerous fighters. After proving he belongs at the top with his 2022 victory over No. 2-ranked Arman Tsarukyan, a potential clash with former champion Charles Oliveira started to feel inevitable. Although Gamrot even lined up a rematch with Tsarukyan, the Russian declined, citing respect and rankings.

His 2023 win over Rafael Fiziev reinforced that fighters cannot underestimate Mateusz Gamrot. However, Charles Oliveira does not believe in the matchup. “Completely different from the style I’ve been preparing for,” Oliveira said of Gamrot. “It’s a good style for me because of the wrestling and grappling part of it. But a completely different style from what I prepared for over a month, two months, you know?”

Meanwhile, time is ticking, but ‘Gamer’ refuses to back down. “I hear you’re worried about my style, even though you had a full training camp,” he wrote in a tweet. “I had none, and still I’m ready to step into the cage. Two weeks left to prepare – and I’m already in ATT right here. No excuses, let’s do this Charles.”

As the UFC Rio drama unfolds, the fight world is buzzing with speculation. Who makes the better matchup for Charles Oliveira—Mateusz Gamrot or Diego Lopes? Share your thoughts and weigh in below.