Oliveira demands Gaethje rematch to unify UFC and BMF lightweight titles after weigh-in injustice

Charles Oliveira has publicly declared himself the rightful next challenger for Justin Gaethje’s undisputed UFC lightweight championship, pointing to their unresolved 2022 history as the foundation for a rematch that would put both the 155-pound title and the BMF belt on the line.

Oliveira’s case rests on a sequence of events that has long rankled the Brazilian. When the two first met in Phoenix in May 2022, Oliveira arrived as champion but was stripped of the title on the scales after coming in a half-pound over the championship limit. He has consistently maintained he made weight the night before and that the local commission may have erred. Gaethje, Arizona’s own, remained eligible to win the belt — but Oliveira submitted him anyway, claiming a title he was not officially permitted to hold.

“There’s everything that happened with the weigh-in, the fact that I fought in his backyard and that my belt was taken from me there,” Oliveira told MMA Fighting. “There’s a lot of history behind this matchup. I have a lot of respect for him, just like I respect every opponent, but this fight has to happen. Like I posted, I’m just waiting for my phone to ring.”

The call to action was triggered by Gaethje’s victory over Ilia Topuria at the UFC White House card on June 14, a result Oliveira said he had been waiting on before mapping out his next move. His head coach and manager Diego Lima was in Las Vegas the past weekend to corner Alan Nascimento at UFC Vegas 119, and Oliveira confirmed that meetings with UFC officials were planned during the week to negotiate terms.

“I made it very clear that I was waiting for the White House event to be over so we could figure out what the next step was. Now we know,” Oliveira said. “The champion is Justin Gaethje, and I definitely want that fight. I definitely want to be next in line. And there’s nothing better than putting both belts on the line, the BMF title and the lightweight championship.”

Oliveira’s BMF title came via a one-sided decision over Max Holloway in Las Vegas, and he is now angling for the fight to take place outside of the United States — ideally in Brazil. He noted that he had already defended his belt in Gaethje’s home state of Arizona and travelled to Abu Dhabi for a title fight against Islam Makhachev in 2022, and believes it is time for the champion to make a similar concession.

“When I became champion I had to defend my belt in his backyard. So why not in Brazil, or anywhere else in the world?” Oliveira said. “Of course, if it were in Brazil, it would be something magical for me and for the Brazilian fans. But like I just said, I’m here to fight for the title. It doesn’t matter where it is. Wherever the call comes from, I’ll be there, ready.”