The year hasn’t been kind to Charles Oliveira, even though he started the year as the UFC lightweight champion. It has been a rollercoaster year, and it started after losing his title due to missing the weight by .5. After two tries, he weighed 155.5, which is above the 155 lines, and as a result, he had to forfeit his title.
However, since the championship match was already scheduled, he still had to fight Justin Gaethje, but only Gaethje could win the title this time. If it ends in Oliveira’s victory, the title becomes vacant, and he would be able to fight any other challenger to the title. Therefore, it will be a tough match worthy of coverage at every top sports news, even the best online casino will know about it.
Following that, the match between Oliveira and Garthje commenced, and we saw an incredible fight take place. In the end, Oliveira won with a submission over Gaethje, who was left to tap out of the tie.
Although he won, he is not the UFC lightweight champion. However, he remains the number one contender to fight for the belt.
https://t.co/N7WbZC1HzS pic.twitter.com/8m4qt938Nz
— Charles 'DoBronxs' Oliveira (@CharlesDoBronxs) May 9, 2022
It is the first time in the history of the UFC lightweight championship that someone would have a weight miss, making it a terrible record to have, especially since he has been doing well since the turn of the year.
We are not sure who is going to face Oliveira for the championship. However, Islam Makhachev is one of the top names on the list.
Beneil Dariush has also been in the news, talking up how he would want a shot at the title. Dariush had a title challenge match contract against Oliveira, but it was canceled.
Aside from that, Conor McGregor might also be in the mix following the recent talks from Oliveira as to how he would like to square up to one of the biggest names in UFC.
The year still has a lot to offer us, and we look forward to who will become the next UFC Lightweight championship. It is down to whoever Oliveira faces next, and we hope for an epic matchup.
So, can Oliveira once again reign as UFC lightweight champion this year? Keep reading for our opinion.
Justin Gaethje and a Missed Opportunity
The match between Gaethje and Oliveira was one of the biggest and most anticipated years in the lightweight division. The fight was what many wanted to see, and the stage was set for an epic battle in the Octagon.
However, before the match could start, Oliveira lost his title because of the weight class miss.
As a result, only Gaethje could win the title. That was a golden opportunity for the American UFC fighter. He could have become the undisputed champion in the match on May 7th.
However, it didn’t go well for the American as he lost to Oliveira after he was pinned down in the ring. Therefore, he is out of the title challenge until there is a new holder.
Islam Makhachev; the Automatic Choice?
If any fighter has the most people’s vote to fight the number one contender for the belt, it is Islam Makhachev.
The Russian has been gassed up to enter the ring for a chance to win the championship and become the undisputed UFC lightweight champion. And we think we would see him enter the ring.
It will not be easy for the Russian, but there is a good chance for him to take down the Brazilian.
Therefore, we are on the lookout for who will be king of the division. Picking the contender to fight Oliveira is what we are waiting for, and we think Makhachev should be one of the automatic choices for the bout.
McGregor, Dariush, or Others?
Oliveira has been pushing for a fight with McGregor, but many believe that he is not a true contender, and one of the contenders for this challenge is Dariush. He believes that McGregor should not be ahead of him in the pecking order as he is currently having one of the best years with a winning streak.
The news has been bubbling, and the American is not holding back, mentioning that he has a contract to fight Oliveira, but the top contender doesn’t seem interested in honoring it. Therefore, it might mean that we will have others get a shot at the title challenger.
We look forward to what happens and who gets the chance to enter the ring with Oliveira for the UFC championship bout.
