Charles Oliveira entered the Octagon on Saturday as the lightweight champion. He left it without a belt, but also with the recognition that he is clearly the best 155-pounder on the planet.
In a wild, spectacular fight, Oliveira submitted Justin Gaethje with a rear naked choke at 3:22 of the first round in the main event of UFC 274 at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona.
Because Oliveira missed weight at Friday’s weigh-in by a half-pound, he was stripped of the title when the bell rang. The UFC stipulated that if Oliveira had won, he’d be the No.