It seems Charles Oliveira has shut down the latest rumors surrounding his next fight, at least for now. The former lightweight champion was originally scheduled to feature in the co-main event of UFC 331 against Arman Tsarukyan in a non-title bout. However, tragedy forced the Brazilian to step away from the matchup.
Oliveira withdrew following the death of his longtime teammate Allan Nascimento, who passed away from an apparent heart attack in his sleep on August 3, 2026, at just 34 years old. Given the circumstances, it was completely understandable that Oliveira needed some time away from fighting.
With Oliveira out, Tsarukyan is now set to face Mauricio Ruffy on September 19 in Los Angeles. At the same time, rumors began circulating that Oliveira could already be preparing for a future matchup with Diego Lopes at 155 pounds after footage of him training went viral on TikTok Live.
Lopes currently competes at featherweight but has been open about his desire to move up to lightweight. The Brazilian recently added more fuel to the speculation by posting a photo with UFC chief business officer Hunter Campbell and captioning it “#155.”
That only intensified talk of a potential move to 155 pounds, especially after Lopes fell short twice against Alexander Volkanovski in featherweight title fights. Naturally, rumors soon emerged that Oliveira and Lopes could collide at UFC 334 on November 14 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. However, the BMF champion has now poured cold water on those reports, making it clear that he doesn’t have a fight lined up yet.
Oliveira told Olhar da Luta in Portuguese, “No, for sure I want to fight again this year. I don’t have any fight booked. No opponent has been offered to me. People keep throwing names out there, but I don’t have anything.”
He added, “Other people see that I’m back training and start saying, ‘Oh, he’s back training,’ but nothing has ever been brought to me. The reality is that I want to fight again before the end of the year. I want to have one more fight.”
🚨 Charles Oliveira says he does NOT have a fight booked, but is hoping to return before the end of the year 👀
“I don’t have any fight booked. No opponent has been offered to me. People keep throwing names out there but I don’t have anything.
The reality is that I want to… pic.twitter.com/mntfUymLxf
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) August 24, 2026
So, while Oliveira doesn’t have an opponent at the moment, he certainly wants to make at least one more appearance inside the Octagon in 2026. The Brazilian last fought Max Holloway at UFC 326 in March, putting on a dominant performance to capture the BMF title. Oliveira repeatedly took the fight to the ground and controlled the Hawaiian for much of the contest.
After Justin Gaethje won the undisputed lightweight title at UFC Freedom 250, Oliveira also made it clear that he wanted another shot at the 155-pound belt. The two previously met at UFC 274, with Gaethje coming up short against Oliveira in their first encounter.
With Gaethje now sidelined for the remainder of the year, Tsarukyan appeared to be the next logical contender to make his case for the lightweight title. But after Oliveira’s withdrawal and the tragic circumstances surrounding it, those plans have gone in a very different direction.
For now, Oliveira is simply looking for one more fight before 2026 comes to an end. Whether that fight comes against Lopes or someone else remains to be seen.
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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.
