Oliveira Stuck In 'Complicated Triangle'

03/11/2025 07:13 AM

Oliveira continues to angle for a belt, but complications at lightweight abound as champions change weight classes.

Charles Oliveira is stuck on the sidelines waiting to hear if he's done enough to fight again for the lightweight title he lost to Islam Makhachev in 2022. But according to Oliveira's coach, there are a lot of factors outside of his control that have to be sorted out first.

Diego Lima spoke with ABC MMA and shared some insight into what it was like negotiating for a title shot with the UFC and 155 pound champion Islam Makhachev.

"The future of Charles [Oliveira] and [Ilia] Topuria is in [Makhachev's] hands, because he said on many occasions that he wanted to go up to welterweight, but I think he won't go up to fight against Belal Muhammad because they are friends and have trained together," Lima said. "If Belal remains champion, he will stay at 155 pounds."

"At the same time, Topuria has not given up the featherweight title without some commitment, without some advanced negotiation. I think Topuria is only going up to fight for the belt with a good negotiation. Topuria's manager must have something pending with the UFC."

That leaves Team "Do Bronx" waiting to see if Belal beats Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 315 in May.

"Everything is revolving around Makhachev," Lima continued. "If Belal doesn't win the fight in May, [Islam] would have a chance to go up a weight class and we would be left with Topuria vs. Charles. But if Belal wins, [Islam] would stay at lightweight and we would have to see with the UFC who it would be, Topuria or Charles, because it depends on two factors: the UFC and Makhachev himself."

"Knowing who will fight who in this triangle will be a bit more complicated."

That leaves Oliveira in a potentially tough spot: does he wait for a shot if he's passed over for a belt? The last time he decided to fight again despite having a title shot promised, he lost to Arman Tsarukyan at UFC 300. But Lima suggested a shot at the BMF would be enough to entice him to compete.

"We care a lot about the belt, we want that belt," he said. "We don't choose the opponent, but we want the belt. Charles would also love the BMF title that Max Holloway has, it's a new belt, a new challenge, a huge fight against someone very big who has history. We are in negotiations for that."

For now, Charles is in a holding pattern.

"[UFC] told us that they could not tell us anything yet, that we were going to have a new meeting in London and surely good things will come out," he said. "We have always had good negotiations. [Charles] told me that he wants to fight in June, but if we don't have the BMF or the title I don't know if we would fight... Maybe Justin Gaethje, who has had a great fight and sells a lot, or a new fight with Dustin Poirier who sells a lot."

Who do you want to see "Do Bronx" against, Maniacs? Let us know in the comments below.