Charles Oliveira has made his intentions clear: he wants another shot at Justin Gaethje and the UFC lightweight championship.
The former champion called for a rematch with Gaethje in a recent interview, insisting that he is not interested in looking backward despite already holding a submission victory over the newly crowned champion. Oliveira said his focus is on becoming champion again and urged the UFC to give him a date and location for the fight:
“I’m not looking backward. I’m looking forward. I want to fight for the title.”
Oliveira also pointed to the history between the two men as a reason to revisit the matchup, arguing that their first meeting produced a definitive result in his favor.
Charles Oliveira Wants to Settle Old Business
Charles Oliveira submitted Gaethje with a first-round rear-naked choke at UFC 274 in May 2022. The Brazilian survived an early scare before forcing Gaethje to tap, extending his win streak to 11 fights at the time.
More than four years later, the circumstances are completely different.
‘The Highlight’ is now the undisputed UFC lightweight champion after defeating Ilia Topuria at UFC Freedom 250 on the White House South Lawn in June. The Arizona native stopped Topuria to claim the belt after previously holding the interim championship.
Oliveira and Gaethje’s title history dates back to UFC 274 in May 2022, when Oliveira was still the undisputed lightweight champion. However, he weighed 155.5 pounds at the official weigh-ins, half a pound over the championship limit, resulting in the title being vacated before the fight. Only Gaethje was eligible to become champion, but Oliveira submitted him in the opening round, leaving the lightweight title vacant.
‘Do Bronx’ believes that history gives the matchup a compelling narrative, particularly because he was the man who handed Gaethje one of the most significant defeats of his career. He continued:
“I was robbed in our first fight. They wanted to distract me so I would go in there, have a shitty fight, and they could crown him champion. He felt my hands, I dropped him and then I submitted him.”
The Brazilian then emphasized that the rematch does not need to take place in Brazil. He said he would be willing to face Gaethje anywhere, including Las Vegas or Japan, and only needs the UFC to provide the date and venue. He concluded:
“There’s a story there. And now he’s the champion. I have no problem with that. The rematch doesn’t need to be in Brazil. Just like I went to his home turf before, it can be in his backyard, it can be in Las Vegas, on the street corner, in Japan, anywhere in the world.
I just need one phone call telling me the date and time. So if the UFC wants a story, what bigger story is there than that?”
Check out Charles Oliveira’s comments below:
‘Do Bronx’ Has Rebuilt His Title Case
Charles Oliveira’s push for another championship opportunity comes after a difficult setback against Ilia Topuria.
The Brazilian challenged Topuria for the vacant lightweight title at UFC 317 in June 2025 but was stopped by a first-round knockout. Rather than allowing the loss to derail his title ambitions, Oliveira immediately began rebuilding.
He returned with a second-round submission victory over Mateusz Gamrot in October 2025 before defeating Max Holloway by unanimous decision at UFC 326 in March 2026. The Holloway victory also earned Oliveira the BMF title, giving him consecutive wins over two established lightweight contenders following the Topuria defeat.
That recent form has strengthened Oliveira’s argument for another championship opportunity. He is also the UFC’s all-time leader in submission victories, adding further weight to his status as one of the division’s most accomplished fighters.
Justin Gaethje Rematch Would Carry Major Stakes
The potential rematch would be considerably different from their first encounter.
Justin Gaethje enters it as the undisputed champion and one of the most accomplished veterans in the UFC lightweight division. Charles Oliveira, meanwhile, would be attempting to reclaim the title he lost to Islam Makhachev in 2022 after his reign ended in the same year he defeated Gaethje.
Whether the UFC agrees to make the fight could determine the next chapter of one of lightweight’s most compelling rivalries.
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