Charles Oliveira calls for title shot

Charles Oliveira has long been overlooked a degree in the UFC’s deepest division. That’s understandable given that lightweight includes Khabib Nurmagomedov, Conor McGregor, Justin Gaethje, Dustin Poirier, and Tony Ferguson. However, with a dominating performance over Ferguson in the co-main event of UFC 256 on Saturday night, “Do Bronx” pushed his win streak to eight, and at the age of 31, has arrived.

At the post-fight press conference, Oliveira argued for a title shot. The lightweight title picture is muddled. The division champion Nurmagomedov has promised his mother he was retired, in order to assume his role as head of household following the death of his father Abdulmanap in July. However, he remains in the USADA testing pool, he has not given up the belt, and there are strong indications he may return. Further, Conor McGregor is always the money fight, and thus, rightly or wrongly, has dibs on a title shot. And Justin Gaethje is rightly the #1 contender.

McGregor fights Poirier in the main event of UFC 257 on January 23; there is not likely to be a belt on the line. Oliveira wants to fight the winner, for a belt.

I think everything happens at the right time, said Oliveira. Look at the fight tonight: This is the guy everyone calls ‘The Boogeyman,’ and we went in there and we had an amazing fight. I’ve been telling everyone I’m going to be the champion. People don’t believe it, so I have to show them.

He’s a really tough guy. I even told [my coach Jorge Macaco Patino] after that first round that I thought I had broken his arm. But I wanted to win. We had a game plan set and I wanted to go in there and win at any cost.

I want to fight for the belt. That’s been my dream and my team’s dream. Obviously fighting Conor involves a lot of other things. It’s a lot of money and a lot of other things that maybe a fight with Dustin wouldn’t involve, but we really want to win the belt.

Khabib swore on his father’s grave that he wasn’t going to come back. When a man does that, I don’t think he’s going to come back. Gaethje can go fight whoever. But I want the winner of Conor and Poirier. I have eight wins in a row. Seven of those, I finished the fight. I don’t let it go to the judges’ hands. I finish fights. I’m in the position to be fighting for the belt.