Former UFC undisputed lightweight champion Charles Oliveira da Silva, widely known as Charles Do Bronx, dropped his usual friendly demeanor on Saturday (17) to fire back at trash talk from rivals across the 155-pound (70.3 kg) division. Representing the Chute Boxe Diego Lima academy in Brazil, the veteran fighter declared he is ready to take on any opponent who contacts the promotion once he completes his upcoming assignment against Diego Lopes at UFC 335, scheduled for December 12, 2026, in Las Vegas, in the United States.
Frustrated by online criticism aimed at diminishing his 16-year UFC tenure—which began in 2010—the holder of the symbolic BMF belt (awarded to the promotion’s “baddest” and toughest competitor) pointed out that several of his loudest detractors have already lost to him inside the Octagon. “I am at a stage in my life where I want them (the talkers) to f* off, to be completely honest. These guys are talking a lot of s*. I have always been chill. Arman, who talked a lot of s*, went in one ear and out the other. I am going to fight now, and if God blesses me, I will beat Diego. At any point down the road, I can cross paths with him. The others who talk on the internet and talk a lot of s*: ‘Oh, Charles is going to lose to that guy.’ The guys I have already beaten are the ones talking a lot of s*** on the internet. It is 16 years of history, and I am tired of these guys. And for those who are talking, just get in touch with the UFC. After December, any one of them (can come), it does not matter. Including the ones I have already beaten, too,” said Charles Oliveira.
Lightweight title queue depends on a decision from Justin Gaethje
Having turned 37 on October 17, 2026, Charles Oliveira plans to campaign for another shot at the undisputed lightweight belt if he gets past Diego Lopes in December. To keep the division moving, the Brazilian urged the UFC to clarify the intentions of American titleholder Justin Gaethje, the reigning linear champion, who has shifted between hinting at retirement and seeking a matchup against Irish star Conor McGregor. Oliveira also named Armenian contender Arman Tsarukyan—who defeated the Brazilian by split decision at UFC 300 in April 2024 and knocked out Mauricio Ruffy in the first round at UFC 331—as his primary rival in the championship queue.
“The first step is for the UFC to sit down with Gaethje and find out exactly what he plans to do. He says he won’t fight this year, but that he would if it were against Conor. Then he starts talking about retirement. If I get past Diego, I think my name carries weight, and I believe I’ll be next in line for a shot at the undisputed title,” stated Charles Oliveira.
Following those remarks, the Brazilian veteran outlined the specific scenarios for the primary 155-pound championship depending on the champion’s next career move. “Obviously, Arman deserves it too. But I think the first step is for the UFC to find out whether Gaethje is retiring or continuing to fight. If he doesn’t retire, it could be Arman or me against Gaethje. If he retires, then it’s me and Arman fighting for the vacant title,” declared Charles Oliveira.
Schedule, venue and confirmed bouts for UFC 335 in Las Vegas
The first defense of Charles Oliveira’s BMF championship will headline UFC 335, closing out the promotion’s 2026 pay-per-view calendar. The card also features fellow Brazilian Alex Pereira, known as Alex Poatan, a former UFC middleweight and light heavyweight champion, competing in the heavyweight co-main event after falling to Ciryl Gane in an interim heavyweight title bout at UFC Freedom 250. Below are the official details and scheduled matchups for the Las Vegas event:
- Event date: December 12, 2026
- Venue: T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
- Broadcast schedule: early prelims at 5:00 p.m. ET (Eastern Time), preliminary card at 7:00 p.m. ET, and main card at 9:00 p.m. ET
- Main event (five rounds): Charles Oliveira (professional MMA record of 37 wins, 11 losses, and 1 no-contest) vs. Diego Lopes (28 wins and 8 losses) for the BMF title at lightweight
- Divisional transition: the bout marks the lightweight debut of Diego Lopes, a fighter born in Manaus, Brazil, who represents Puebla, Mexico, moving up after competing at featherweight and earning victories over Brian Ortega, Jean Silva, and Steve Garcia
- Co-main event (five rounds): No. 3-ranked Alex Pereira (13 wins and 4 losses) vs. No. 2-ranked Russian heavyweight contender Sergei Pavlovich (21 wins and 3 losses)
- Additional confirmed bouts on the card: No. 6-ranked Joe Pyfer (16-3) vs. No. 14-ranked Bo Nickal (9-1) at middleweight; former flyweight champion Brandon Moreno (24-10-2) vs. Charles Johnson (20-9); and No. 6-ranked women’s flyweight contender Maycee Barber (15-3) vs. Carli Judice (7-2)
All-time UFC finishing records and lightweight championship history since 2022
Holding the all-time UFC records for the most finishes with 21—fights ended inside the scheduled distance—and the most submissions with 17, alongside 21 post-fight bonuses, Charles Oliveira captured the BMF belt on March 7, 2026, at UFC 326 in Las Vegas. In that contest, he defeated Hawaiian standout Max Holloway via unanimous decision across five rounds using dominant grappling and ground control, an approach that drew complaints from a segment of fans who expected a stand-up brawl. His layoff from competition since March 2026 also stemmed from the UFC barring the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt from entering external grappling and submission tournaments hosted by partner promotions.
Before defeating Max Holloway, the Brazilian was knocked out by Ilia Topuria in a bout for the undisputed lightweight championship at UFC 317 on June 28, 2025. Meanwhile, current titleholder Justin Gaethje claimed the linear belt in June 2026 by stopping Ilia Topuria via technical knockout at the UFC Freedom 250 event. Gaethje and Charles Oliveira previously met inside the Octagon at UFC 274 in May 2022, where the Brazilian secured a first-round submission victory.