Justin Gaethje will most likely be fighting Charles Oliveira next, according to UFC president Dana White.
Gaethje does not have his next fight booked and hinted at waiting to fight the winner of Conor McGregor vs. Dustin Poirier 2. However, that is no longer the case, as White revealed the hope is Gaethje fights Oliveira next.
On an ESPN+ live stream, Dana White says Justin Gaethje will “probably” fight Charles Oliveira next #UFCFightIsland
— Nolan King (@mma_kings) January 6, 2021
On an ESPN+ live stream, Dana White says Justin Gaethje will “probably” fight Charles Oliveira next.
If this fight happens, it certainly makes sense. It is an intriguing stylistic matchup between a phenomenal striker in Gaethje against Oliveira, who is known for his grappling but is solid everywhere. The Brazilian became a legit lightweight contender this year and if he beats Gaethje there is no question he deserves a title shot. For Gaethje, if he can get back into the win column and end the winning streak of Oliveira, he will likely get his wish of fighting the winner or McGregor-Poirier.
Justin Gaethje is coming off a second-round submission loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov for the lightweight title. Before that, he scored a dominant fifth-round TKO win over Tony Ferguson to claim the interim title. Inside the Octagon, he holds notable wins over Michael Johnson, Donald Cerrone, and Edson Barboza. His three losses in the UFC are to Poirier, Eddie Alvarez, and Nurmagomedov.
Charles Oliveira, meanwhile, is on an eight-fight winning streak with notable wins over Tony Ferguson and Kevin Lee in back-to-back fights. During this run, he also has stoppage wins over Nik Lentz, Jared Gordon, and Jim Miller. The Brazilian is also 9-1 since moving up to lightweight with his lone loss to Paul Felder.
When Justin Gaethje vs. Charles Oliveira would happen is uncertain. It would be a phenomenal Fight Night main event or a co-main on a pay-per-view. However, this fight no doubt deserves five rounds as it could enter the championship rounds.
Who do you think would win, Justin Gaethje or Charles Oliveira?