The UFC was in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on Saturday for a solid UFC Rio Fight Night card. The main event saw Charles Oliveira take on Mateusz Gamrot at lightweight.
Oliveira entered the fight and suffered a KO loss to Ilia Topuria for the vacant lightweight title. Gamrot, meanwhile, was coming off a decisive victory over L’udovit Klein.
Ultimately, it was Oliveira who finished the job with a second-round win to return to the win column. After UFC Rio, this is what I think should be the next step for the lightweight contenders.
Charles Oliveira
Charles Oliveira was coming off a KO loss to Ilia Topuria for the lightweight title in June, and his future as a contender was in doubt. However, Oliveira silenced these doubters with a solid win over Gamrot to prove he is still a legitimate contender at lightweight.
With the win, Oliveira is back in the title picture at lightweight and should get a big fight next time. The logical fight for the Brazilian is to match Max Holloway again for the BMF title. Oliveira and Holloway fought back in 2015, and the ending was strange when Oliveira suffered an esophagus injury. Oliveira vs. Holloway could capture a numbered card sometime in 2026 in what would be a highly anticipated fight.
Mateusz Gamrot
Mateusz Gamrot was in action on short notice to take on Charles Oliveira in a crucial fight at lightweight. Gamrot wanted to strengthen himself as a title contender. He had a good first round, but in the second round Oliveira got a hold of his back and forced the tap.
Even though Gamrot lost, he is still a top 10 lightweight and should get a big fight next time. A logical next match for Gamrot is to face Renato Moicano. Both fighters need a win because the winner will have a top 10 opponent. The loser, meanwhile, would become a gatekeeper and likely then have to fight an unranked opponent.
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