Former UFC Lightweight Champion Charles Oliveira’s fight preparation was turned upside down in recent days when his original opponent, Rafael Fiziev, was forced to withdraw from their scheduled UFC Fight Night main event October 11.
Oliveira, who suffered a devastating knockout loss to Ilia Topuria in June, is now without an opponent and has since voiced his frustrations about what’s really transpiring behind the scenes in a since-deleted Instagram story.
“Everybody knows my UFC Rio fight is off,” Oliveira said. “But don’t fall for the talk of these guys out there [saying] ‘I’m here, I’ll go,’ because the UFC is calling and they’re all saying, ‘Oh, there’s not enough time to make weight. Oh, I can’t.’ They’re posting this on the internet to get hype.”
Oliveira remains displeased with the way the situation has been handled, calling out those who have shown interest in stepping in on short notice, but not by name.
Apr 13, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Charles Oliveira (red gloves) reacts after the fight with Arman Tsarukyan (not pictured) during UFC 300 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
“Stop it, it’s not a good look. I saw one saying this, another saying that, but when the UFC calls, what do they say? ‘Oh, I can’t. I got belly ache. I broke a finger. I hurt my hand.’ Enough with that, it’s not a good look.”
After Oliveira spoke out, fellow contenders Mateusz Gamrot and Renato Moicano advocated for Oliveira to fight after all. Gamrot, unlike Moicano, made his intentions public with a tweet of his own, rather than a singular Instagram comment from the former title challenger.
Respect @CharlesDoBronxs but I told ufc straight – I want to face you in your own house. This will be a true masterclass on the ground, and I’m ready to prove it 🔥 https://t.co/Qk84R1w617
— Mateusz Gamrot (@gamer_mma) September 21, 2025
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Nov 16, 2024; New York, NY, USA; Charles Oliveira (red gloves) celebrates defeating Michael Chandler (blue gloves) in the lightweight bout during UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images
“Respect [Oliveira],” Gamrot wrote. “But I told UFC straight — I want to face you in your own house. This will be a true masterclass on the ground, and I’m ready to prove it.”
Oliveira says, regardless of who his replacement ends up becoming, he has an obligation to deliver for the fans in attendance.
“I want to fight at UFC Rio, I asked for this fight,” Oliveira told MMAFighting.com. “My opponent got hurt, then 10 guys show up saying they would fight. So far, every time the UFC calls [asking] ‘Let’s fight?’ [they say] ‘I can’t.’ So stop with that because it’s not a good look. Do you want fame? Do something else. Don’t come saying you’ll fight when it’s a lie, OK?”
Oliveira is attempting to earn his first win in nearly a year, defeating Michael Chandler at UFC 309 by decision, which was sandwiched between a stretch that included losses to Arman Tsarukyan and Islam Makhachev in a failed opportunity to retain UFC gold, losing the title to Makhachev at UFC 280.
Whether Oliveira gets a replacement booking remains to be seen.
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