{"id":159961,"date":"2025-09-21T20:28:07","date_gmt":"2025-09-21T20:28:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/159961\/"},"modified":"2025-09-21T20:28:07","modified_gmt":"2025-09-21T20:28:07","slug":"ex-ufc-champion-charles-oliveira-sounds-off-on-ufc-rio-replacement-confusion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/159961\/","title":{"rendered":"Ex-UFC champion Charles Oliveira sounds off on UFC Rio replacement confusion"},"content":{"rendered":"

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<\/a> from their scheduled UFC Fight Night main event October 11.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

“Everybody knows my UFC Rio fight is off,\u201d Oliveira said. \u201cBut don\u2019t fall for the talk of these guys out there [saying] \u2018I\u2019m here, I\u2019ll go,\u2019 because the UFC is calling and they\u2019re all saying, \u2018Oh, there\u2019s not enough time to make weight. Oh, I can\u2019t.\u2019 They\u2019re posting this on the internet to get hype.”<\/p>\n

Oliveira remains displeased with the way the situation has been handled<\/a>, calling out those who have shown interest in stepping in on short notice, but not by name.<\/p>\n

\"Charles<\/p>\n

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<\/p>\n

\u201cStop it, it\u2019s not a good look. I saw one saying this, another saying that, but when the UFC calls, what do they say? \u2018Oh, I can\u2019t. I got belly ache. I broke a finger. I hurt my hand.\u2019 Enough with that, it\u2019s not a good look.\u201d<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Respect @CharlesDoBronxs<\/a> but I told ufc straight \u2013 I want to face you in your own house. This will be a true masterclass on the ground, and I\u2019m ready to prove it \ud83d\udd25 https:\/\/t.co\/Qk84R1w617<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Mateusz Gamrot (@gamer_mma) September 21, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

READ MORE: MMA fans compare viral fighter to Brock Lesnar after yet another finish<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Oliveira<\/p>\n

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<\/p>\n

“Respect [Oliveira],\u201d Gamrot wrote. \u201cBut I told UFC straight \u2014 I want to face you in your own house. This will be a true masterclass on the ground, and I\u2019m ready to prove it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Oliveira says, regardless of who his replacement ends up becoming, he has an obligation to deliver for the fans in attendance.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to fight at UFC Rio, I asked for this fight,\u201d Oliveira told MMAFighting.com. <\/a>\u201cMy opponent got hurt, then 10 guys show up saying they would fight. So far, every time the UFC calls [asking] \u2018Let\u2019s fight?\u2019 [they say] \u2018I can\u2019t.\u2019 So stop with that because it\u2019s not a good look. Do you want fame? Do something else. Don\u2019t come saying you\u2019ll fight when it\u2019s a lie, OK?\u201d<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Whether Oliveira gets a replacement booking remains to be seen.<\/p>\n

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