Oliveira says take the BMF belt somewhere else

Charles Oliveira says take the BMF belt somewhere else. He told MMA Fighting.

Oliveira defends it against Diego Lopes on December 12 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, and he has not defended the belt. The fight is the lightweight main event of UFC 335, at 155 pounds (70 kg).

Oliveira won the belt with a unanimous decision over Max Holloway at UFC 326 on March 7, 2026, at 5:00 of the fifth round. Oliveira said every takedown he shot against Holloway landed, and that the ground control was complete. Oliveira submitted Mateusz Gamrot with a rear-naked choke at 2:48 of the second round on October 11, 2025. Ilia Topuria knocked Oliveira out at 2:27 of the first round at UFC 317 on June 28, 2025, in a fight for the vacant lightweight title.

Oliveira is 37 and 37-11, with 10 knockouts, 22 submissions, and five decisions, and 21 of his 25 UFC wins were finishes. Oliveira has the most finishes in UFC history and the most fight-night bonuses, 21 of each, with 17 submissions in the UFC, and he is second in UFC wins with 25.

Oliveira stands 70 inches (178 cm), with a 74-inch (188 cm) reach, at 156 pounds (71 kg). Oliveira lands 3.23 significant strikes a minute and absorbs 3.05, defends 49 percent of significant strikes, averages 2.29 takedowns per 15 minutes, and defends 55 percent of takedowns. Oliveira lands 59 percent of his significant strikes standing, 18 percent in the clinch, and 23 percent on the ground.

The state of São Paulo is his birthplace. Oliveira trains at Bronx’s Gold Team, started at nine, holds a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and turned pro in 2008. The name Do Bronx came from the gym, where people called him the kid from the ghetto, and Oliveira had just left high school when he started. Oliveira submitted Darren Elkins with an armbar at 0:41 of the first round on August 1, 2010, in his UFC debut.

Oliveira won the vacant lightweight title against Michael Chandler at UFC 262 on May 15, 2021, and he submitted Dustin Poirier with a rear-naked choke at 1:02 of the third round at UFC 269. Oliveira missed weight against Justin Gaethje at UFC 274 and was stripped.

Oliveira told MMA Fighting that a win or a loss is the only line he cares about, that calling the Holloway fight boring is wrong, and that a loss to Gamrot or to Holloway would have put him out of the UFC.

Holloway rematched Conor McGregor at UFC 329 on July 11, 2026. Oliveira said people asked why a more aggressive fight with Holloway would not have brought him that bout, and he asked whether McGregor would have accepted a fight with him. Oliveira said nobody has done to Holloway what he did, on the feet and on the ground.

Oliveira said he will not trade with Lopes to see who goes down first. Oliveira said his team is studying Lopes, and that Lopes has jiu-jitsu, wrestling, and knockout power. There is no bad blood between Oliveira and Lopes. Oliveira said he will mix the martial arts against Lopes, with no pressure, and that he wants a sharper fight than the ones with Gamrot and Holloway.

Lopes knocked out Steve Garcia at 2:42 of the second round on June 14, 2026. Lopes is 31 and 28-8, with 12 knockouts, 12 submissions, and four decisions, and 15 of the wins ended in the first round. Lopes is 7-3 in the UFC, and December 12 is his first UFC fight at lightweight. Lopes has won seven of his last nine, and both losses in that stretch were title fights against Alexander Volkanovski. Lopes lost a unanimous decision to Movsar Evloev at 5:00 of the third round on May 6, 2023, in his UFC debut. Since the Contender Series loss to Joanderson Brito, Lopes is 9-4, with six knockouts and one submission, and Lopes has won seven bonuses in 10 UFC fights.

Lopes stands 71 inches (180 cm), with a 72.5-inch (184 cm) reach, at 160.8 pounds (73 kg). Lopes lands 3.79 significant strikes a minute and absorbs 4.65, defends 47 percent of significant strikes, averages 0.82 takedowns per 15 minutes, and defends 69 percent of takedowns. Lopes lands 70 percent of his significant strikes standing, 7 percent in the clinch, and 23 percent on the ground.

Manaus is his birthplace. Lopes trains at Brazilian Warriors and Lobo Gym, started Brazilian jiu-jitsu at five because his father and his brother trained, and fought his first MMA bout at 17 in Amazonas. Lopes turned pro in 2012, and the pro debut was a second-round TKO of Francivaldo Arauvo on September 8, 2012. Lopes holds a second-degree black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and was runner-up at the jiu-jitsu worlds. Lopes was a champion of JFL MMA, XFL MMA, and Lux Fight League in Mexico, and he taught at his father’s gym before he fought.

The card

Alex Pereira meets Sergei Pavlovich at heavyweight in the co-main. The bout is Pereira’s second heavyweight fight, and it is not for a title. Pereira lost to Ciryl Gane at UFC Freedom 250, and Pavlovich is ranked No. 2.