Charles Oliveira is at a point in his career where only a few fights make sense for him. Despite rumors linking the BMF champion to bouts against Diego Lopes and Arman Tsarukyan, Oliveira has his sights firmly set on the lightweight title and wants to challenge the reigning champion Justin Gaethje.

Addressing the speculation surrounding a potential fight with Diego Lopes, ‘Do Bronxs’ told Olhar da Luta that there have been no discussions about the matchup. Instead, the Brazilian MMA veteran believes he should be next in line for a shot at Gaethje and is willing to wait until next year if necessary.

“This fight (with Diego Lopes) never materialized, not even a rumor, not even a hint of it happening,” Oliveira said. “I believe I’m next in line to fight for the title. So, I think that’s my thought, that’s my focus. If I’m next in line and (Gaethje) only wants to fight next year, at the beginning of the year, why not wait? I’m not in a hurry; I can wait. I’m sure I’m next in line.”

The former UFC lightweight champion believes he has a strong case for the next title opportunity. The 36-year-old recently defeated Max Holloway at UFC 326 in March, the same fighter who had previously knocked out Gaethje at UFC 300. Plus, ‘Do Bronx’ also holds the BMF title and is on a two-fight winning streak since Ilia Topuria knocked him out at UFC 317 last year.

The Brazilian has even indicated that he would be willing to put his BMF belt on the line if the UFC grants him a lightweight title opportunity against Gaethje. For Charles Oliveira, however, the potential matchup is about more than rankings or championship gold. He believes he and Gaethje still have unfinished business.

“It can’t possibly be any other way, right? With all due respect, I’m not looking back. I’m looking forward,” Oliveira added. “I want the title. That’s what I’m doing. That’s what I’m focused on. My struggle with (Gaethje) has a history.

“There’s a story behind it, and now he’s champion. It could be in his backyard. It could be in Vegas, anywhere in the world. I just need a call to set a date and a time.”

Charles Oliveira still remembers the controversial UFC 274 title fight in May 2022. Oliveira defeated Justin Gaethje in the first round via rear-naked choke on ‘The Highlight’s home turf in Arizona. In an exhilarating bout where both fighters knocked each other down, it was the Brazilian who ultimately submitted Gaethje. But despite the victory, Oliveira couldn’t retain his lightweight title because the UFC had stripped him of his belt for weighing in half a pound over the 155-pound lightweight championship limit.

Now, with Gaethje holding the lightweight championship, Oliveira believes their rematch would provide the perfect opportunity to settle unfinished business while simultaneously giving him another chance to become champion.

However, Oliveira’s path to Gaethje became less straightforward after another potential matchup fell apart.

Charles Oliveira opens up about his fizzled-out bout with Arman Tsarukyan

The Sao Paulo native was recently linked to a fight with Arman Tsarukyan at UFC 331 next month. The promotion ultimately booked Tsarukyan against Mauricio Ruffy instead, surprising many fans. Reports subsequently suggested that the UFC had initially attempted to book Oliveira against Tsarukyan. Oliveira has now confirmed that the fight was indeed offered to him, but he wasn’t prepared to accept it at the time.

The situation was complicated by the tragic death of Oliveira’s close friend and teammate, Alan Nascimento, earlier this month. The Brazilian explained that his team had asked the UFC to postpone the proposed matchup with Tsarukyan until November or December.

“No, actually, this fight was offered to me, and I said I didn’t have time for this fight,” Oliveira added in the same interview. “This fight could have been in November or December, and that’s all that was said. But what happened, happened with Allan. And right after that, we saw what happened with Ruffy’s entrance. From then on, they didn’t offer anything else. No one said anything else.”

Understandably, Charles Oliveira couldn’t accept the fight against Arman Tsarukyan because he was still mourning Nascimento’s passing. Still, the UFC matchmaking Ruffy against the Armenian could turn out to be a number-one-contender fight. In that case, the former champion’s plan to face Justin Gaethje next could take a serious hit, as the promotion might prefer a fresh challenge for ‘The Highlight’ over a rematch with Oliveira.

Besides the Brazilian, his former adversary, Ilia Topuria, is also searching for a rematch against Justin Gaethje after conceding a massive defeat at UFC White House.

Though ‘The Highlight’ has made it clear that he isn’t interested in facing ‘El Matador,’ citing that he made him “quit on the stool,” the UFC might still end up exploring that option because the rematch would definitely draw attention. So, that could be another hurdle for Oliveira.

With Oliveira, Topuria, Tsarukyan, and Ruffy all potentially involved in the lightweight title picture, Gaethje has no shortage of options. It would be interesting to see the direction the promotion takes in the coming months with the division.