After a tough loss to Arman Tsarukyan at UFC 300, is the welterweight division the next step for Charles Oliveira? Fans think so. In fact, speculations about his moving to the heavier division have become even more rampant after the fighter said he was willing to be a backup for Conor McGregor versus Michael Chandler. And if the opportunity arises, he would love to fight the Irishman.

So when fans saw the Brazilian looking massive in a recent video, it left them excited. He was seen walking alongside Alex Pereira in Rio de Janeiro and the fact that he didn’t look that small in front of the light heavyweight says a lot.

But is it that surprising to see him look comparatively big? As per the information available, the 34-year-old has a walk-around weight of between  176 and 180 pounds. So, to meet the requirements for the lightweight division, he seems to be cutting around 21 pounds or more to fight.

But would he fit well into the 170 lbs division? Let’s not forget that fighters like Shavkat Rakhmonov, Ian Garry, and champion Leon Edwards are present in the division and they are much bigger. For example: Rakhmonov weighs around 192-194 lbs when not in camp, and Geoff Neal cuts more than 30 lbs to make weight. However, despite no official announcement taking place, fans are convinced that Charles Oliveria is moving to the welterweight division.

Fans warn Conor McGregor of a possible Charles Oliveira clash

A couple of fans stated, “Charles is huge,” and “Charles massive,” as they were blown away by how big he looked. Meanwhile, one fan seemed extremely confident that Charles Oliveira may just be the backup for the UFC 303 main event: “Charles moving up to 170.”

After all, the Brazilian fighter recently said, “I offered myself to be the alternate for that fight (McGregor versus Chandler), and obviously, I’m down for that. I’d make some money if I don’t fight, and if I do fight, then awesome.”

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Further, some fans were left wondering how the former champion used to make it to the featherweight weight limit, given how big he looks in the video clip. Much earlier in his career, he fought at featherweight. One fan commented, “How TF this dude ever make 145.” Meanwhile, another fan wondered if Oliveira was weighing around 185 lbs in the recent video. “Charles looks like a middleweight here.”

On the other hand, some fans made light-hearted comments about Charles Oliveira possibly overpowering Alex Pereira in his current size. While one fan stated, “Charles to light heavyweight confirmed,” another stated, “Do Bronx would submit Alex lol.”

It seems Oliveria has made up his mind about legacy and money fights at welterweight. A fight against Conor McGregor or Michael Chandler (both lightweight fighters) at welterweight would be interesting. Let’s not forget that the Brazilian already defeated ‘Iron’ at UFC 262. But for McGregor, fighting and beating Oliveria could propel him into the title discussion- if that’s what he wants.

However, if Oliveria decides to move to the heavier weight class and face the already established fighters, it’s difficult to say how those fights will turn out. His new physique raises the question if that will eventually be the route Dana White would want him to take. Given that Conor McGregor has one more fight left after UFC 303, it will be fascinating to see if the Irishman ends up fighting Oliveira in the future. What do you make of Oliveira’s new physique?