The rumors were true. Diego Lopes is officially moving up to lightweight, and he has landed a massive matchup against Charles Oliveira for the BMF title at UFC 335. The fight will headline the December 12 card at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and was officially announced during the UFC 332 broadcast on Saturday.
Oliveira will look to make the first defense of his BMF title after winning the belt in spectacular fashion by demolishing Max Holloway at UFC 326 in March. The Brazilian was originally scheduled to face Arman Tsarukyan at UFC 331 last month but pulled out following the tragic death of his close friend and teammate, Allan Nascimento.
Oliveira had also been pushing for a shot at the undisputed lightweight title because of his history with Justin Gaethje. Instead, he will welcome Lopes to the 155-pound division with the BMF title on the line.
🚨#UFC335 ya tiene pelea estelar🚨
@CharlesDoBronxs vs @Diegolopesmma por el tÃtulo BMF 👑 https://t.co/bKnFsztZ0g
— UFC Español (@UFCEspanol) October 4, 2026
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Few fighters represent the spirit of the BMF title better than Oliveira. The former lightweight champion holds UFC records for submission wins with 17, finishes with 21, and post-fight bonuses with 14.
Lopes, meanwhile, is coming off a knockout win over Steve Garcia at UFC Freedom 250. The Brazilian has already challenged Alexander Volkanovski for the featherweight title twice, coming up short at UFC 314 and UFC 325.
Now, Lopes is ready for a new challenge at 155 pounds. He has been teasing a move to lightweight for some time, even sharing photos with UFC CBO Hunter Campbell recently. He will now get his chance to make the jump against one of the most experienced and dangerous fighters in the division.
And UFC 335 is already shaping up to be a stacked card. Alex Pereira will take on Sergei Pavlovich in a heavyweight clash in the co-main event, while Bo Nickal will face Joe Pyfer in another matchup announced during the UFC 332 broadcast.
Kshitiz Kumar Singh is a UFC Writer at NY Fights with over three years of experience in sports journalism and content creation. Known for his sharp storytelling and passion for combat sports, he has written in-depth features on stars like Brock Lesnar, Randy Couture, and Ilia Topuria. Before joining NY Fights, Kshitiz worked as a UFC Editor at EssentiallySports while currently serving as a WWE Editor at FirstSportz. His admiration for legends like Georges St-Pierre continues to inspire his detailed and engaging MMA coverage. Whether he’s covering the Octagon or the squared circle, Kshitiz is committed to delivering accurate, high-quality content. Outside the world of sports, he’s a dedicated cinephile, often found practicing monologues from his favorite Al Pacino films, combining his love for cinema with storytelling.
