Charles Oliveira vs. Diego Lopes Official for UFC 335 BMF Title Fight

Charles Oliveira has his next challenge set as the former UFC Lightweight Champion will defend his BMF belt against Diego Lopes. The much-anticipated matchup will headline UFC 335 on Dec. 12 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, with the announcement taking place during the UFC 332 broadcast.

🚨 BREAKING: Charles Oliveira will defend the BMF title against Diego Lopes in the main event of UFC 335 on December 12 https://t.co/rKZEgVbAXY

— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) October 4, 2026

Oliveira Set for First BMF Title Defense 

Oliveira captured the BMF championship at UFC 326 in March by dominating Max Holloway in a five-round fight and securing a unanimous decision. He added yet another victory to his name after submitting Mateusz Gamrot in October 2025 and climbed back to the top of the lightweight division.

Now, "Do Bronx" is set to defend his record against another dangerous finisher. Oliveira boasts a career-high of 37-11 and holds one of the best strike records in UFC history.

In addition, he holds the record for the highest number of finishes and submission victories in the promotion. Besides that, the lightweight champion will get the chance to cross paths with an opponent holding a substantially different background from his own. 

Diego Lopes Moves Up for BMF Opportunity

Lopes will shift from the featherweight to lightweight division for the biggest opportunity of his UFC career. The Brazilian holds a 28-8 overall record and has already challenged Alexander Volkanovski for the UFC featherweight title twice before, coming up short on both occasions.

However, Lopes comes into this bout riding a two-fight winning streak, having recovered from his second loss against the champion to stop Steve Garcia at UFC Freedom 250.

The BMF rematch against an elite-level lightweight fighter presents the 31-year-old with a significant opportunity to test his skills against one of the division's veterans. Besides, it also gives him a chance to make an immediate statement in his new weight class.

UFC 335 is already shaping up as a major year-end event, with Alex Pereira vs. Sergei Pavlovich booked for the co-main event alongside Bo Nickal vs. Joe Pyfer.