Charles Oliveira is headed back to Rio!
After coming up short against Ilia Topuria at UFC 317, 'Do Bronx' will look to climb back into the win column on October 11 when he collides with lightweight striking sensation Rafael Fiziev inside Farmasi Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. UFC officially announced the five-round headliner on Thursday.
Charles Oliveira and Rafael Fiziev vie for top-five ranking in Rio
Oliveira (35-11, 1 NC), suffered a brutal first-round knockout loss against Topuria in June, dropping him to 2-3 in his last five outings. Despite the recent setbacks, the former 155-pound titleholder is still sitting as the No. 4 ranked contender in the division, meaning one big win could put him right back into the title picture.
Fiziev (13-4) recently snapped a three-fight losing skid, scoring a much-needed unanimous decision victory over Ignacio Bahamondes at UFC Baku. The win was good enough to keep 'Ataman' in the lightweight top 10, but with a win over Oliveira in enemy territory, Fiziev could skyrocket himself into the top five and put him on the cusp of his first UFC title opportunity.
Thus far, three other bouts have been confirmed for UFC Rio, including a bantamweight clash featuring the debut of 10-time BJJ world champion and ADCC gold medalist Bia Mesquita as she faces Irina Alekseeva.
Also on tap is a pair of heavyweight bouts between Vitor Petrino and Thomas Petersen, and Jhonata Diniz and Mario Pinto.