"Maybe if Islam wins, Ilia decides to move up" - Charles Oliveira tips Justin Gaethje for title shot, eyes Ilia Topuria’s possible welterweight jump

Charles Oliveira recently shared his thoughts on the upcoming UFC lightweight title fight and expressed that he believes Justin Gaethje is the closest contender for the opportunity.

Oliveira is coming off a loss to Ilia Topuria at UFC 317, where he was unable to capture the vacant lightweight title. Shortly after the fight, both Paddy Pimblett and Gaethje have shown interest in securing the next shot at the title.

In a recent interview with Adam Catterall, Oliveira was asked who he thinks will earn the next UFC lightweight title shot. In response, the Brazilian fighter said:

"Listen, a lot can happen, right? I think Gaethje is the one that's closest. I mean, you can talk about the fact that he's on his way out, so you want to give him that. Also, there's a fight. Arman is already scheduled to fight in November. Then you have Paddy. I mean, they hate each other, so that's good."

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He added:

"And also in November, you have a fight between Islam and JDM. Maybe if Islam wins, Ilia decides to move up a division, decide to go chase him, or something. So, anything can happen."

Check out Charles Oliveira's comments below (4:20):

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Charles Oliveira discusses potential title shot timeline

Charles Oliveira first became the UFC lightweight champion by defeating Michael Chandler in 2021. However, a year later, he lost the title to Islam Makhachev at UFC 280, where Makhachev triumphed over Oliveira by submission. Oliveira's recent fight against Ilia Topuria marked his second opportunity to reclaim the title.

In the aforementioned interview with Adam Catterall, the Brazilian fighter discussed his potential timeline for another shot at the championship.

"I don't know, I guess many things can happen. But, I do believe that one more win and I could be the next challenger for the title." [5:04 seconds into the interview video]

Oliveira is currently scheduled to face Mateusz Gamrot in the main event of UFC Rio this Saturday.

Edited by Nilaav Gogoi