One thing is certain: Charles Oliveira will be one half of the next UFC lightweight title bout.
“Do Bronx” earned that right when he submitted Justin Gaethje in the opening round of the UFC 274 headliner after being stripped of the belt due to missing weight one day prior. What’s still up in the air is who Oliveira will face, along with the date and venue.
Shortly after Oliveira’s triumph, ex-lightweight champ Khabib Nurmagomedov lobbied for training partner Islam Makhachev to receive the next shot. Makhachev has won 10 consecutive fights at 155 pounds in the Las Vegas-based promotion and is coming off a first-round stoppage of Bobby Green at UFC Fight Night 202.