The fight game is built on twists, and Charles Oliveira just got hit with one. The Brazilian was preparing for UFC Rio on October 11 with a clear game plan in mind. Then, Rafael Fiziev’s injury forced the promotion to shuffle the deck. The new opponent? Poland’s Mateusz Gamrot.

But here’s the catch: this wasn’t Oliveira’s pick. In fact, the former champion admitted the change left him scrambling. Still, the show must go on. For ‘Do Bronx’, fighting in front of a Rio crowd is non-negotiable. The announcement came first on social media. “All set ✅ #UFCRio,” Oliveira posted on X and later expanded on it in a video uploaded on Instagram.

Charles Oliveira thanks Mateusz Gamrot, blasts rest of the lightweights

The former champion shared, “Hey, my family! Just dropping by to let you know that my new fight is out now. First of all, I’d like to thank everyone for all the messages, for all the tremendous affection. That’s why I want to be a part of UFC Rio de Janeiro on October 11th”

He then confirmed the change in opponents, but not without a jab at the rest of the lightweight division, as he further stated, “Opponent: Mateusz Gamrot, this is the guy we’re going to battle in a great war. The rest just wanted the hype, just wanted to stall and talk. But that’s part of it, that’s how it is. That’s how they think it’s cool. Mateusz Gamrot, thank you, for accepting the fight.”

‘Gamer’ has earned his spot through grit. In his past five outings, he’s gone 4-1, the only blemish a narrow split decision to Dan Hooker at UFC 305. His wins include Ludovit Klein, Rafael dos Anjos, Jalin Turner, and Fiziev himself. Just this May, after nine months away, Gamrot returned to beat Klein by unanimous decision. Now, he’s stepping into the biggest test of his UFC career so far, facing Oliveira in Rio.

On paper, it’s a fight fans can rally around. But for Charles Oliveira, timing is everything. In a recent interview, he was hesitant about the idea of facing a different opponent, as he confessed, “I was focused on a guy who comes from a striking background. With two weeks left until the fight, I have to change my whole game plan. It’s very complicated.”

The Brazilian insisted this wasn’t about ducking anyone. Instead, it’s the reality of throwing away months of training tailored for a striker to suddenly prepare for a grappler. After all, this isn’t just another fight for Charles Oliveira. He’s at a crossroads. He’s coming off a brutal knockout loss to Ilia Topuria in their UFC 317 vacant lightweight title bout.

That defeat added to a streak of ups and downs as he has gone 3-3 in his last six in the lightweight division. Which raises the question, is it time for ‘Do Bronx’ to consider changing weight classes? According to a Brazilian champion, that might be the way forward for Charles Oliveira!

Alexandre Pantoja believes Oliveira may be too “heavy” for lightweight

UFC flyweight king Alexandre Pantoja has been vocal about Oliveira’s future since the knockout loss to Ilia Topuria. As such, speaking on the Overdogs Podcast recently, he didn’t hold back his concerns. According to Pantoja, “I think everybody understands when we say he’s back too soon after a knockout like Topuria.” He praised Oliveira’s talent but warned that rushing into fights, especially after heavy damage, could be risky.

Pantoja then pointed to Oliveira’s love for competing in Brazil as both a strength and a burden as he shared, “Charles likes to fight in this atmosphere, especially when he goes to Brazil – he has all the energy”. Drawing from his own experience of defending a title on home soil, ‘The Cannibal’ said he understood the responsibility and pressure of carrying a nation’s hopes.

But the bigger issue, in his eyes, is weight. Pantoja confessed, “The weight cut is maybe too much. When you cut too much weight, you need to understand, all your water goes. Your brain has water. If you dry yourself too much, you will make yourself vulnerable. Maybe Charles is too heavy for that division. (Welterweight) would make it more easy for him.”

It’s a bold suggestion, but one that raises valid questions. As such, Charles Oliveira may have agreed to face Mateusz Gamrot at UFC Rio, but the bigger battle could be with himself. The short-notice opponent switch has forced him into a stylistic gamble, one that demands tearing up his playbook just weeks before fight night.

At the same time, Alexandre Pantoja’s warning adds another layer. Is the real danger not Gamrot’s wrestling, but Oliveira’s own weight cut? What do you think? Let us know in the comments below!