Credit: Mike Roach/Zuffa LLC
BMF champion Charles Oliveira believes a win at UFC 335 gives him the stronger case for a title shot over Arman Tsarukyan.
Charles Oliveira will defend his BMF belt against Diego Lopes in the UFC 335 main event. The former UFC lightweight champion returns after defeating Max Holloway earlier this year to win the BMF title.
A win at UFC 335 could lead to a title shot for Oliveira’s next fight. But Oliveira may have to wait for his former rival, Arman Tsarukyan, to face Justin Gaethje before getting another title shot opportunity.
Tsarukyan’s long pursuit of a lightweight title shot has been well documented, including his win over Oliveira at UFC 300. Despite Tsarukyan’s impressive performance against Mauricio Ruffy last month, Oliveira believes Tsarukyan’s title shot case isn’t a done deal.
Charles Oliveira prepared to foil former rival Arman Tsarukyan’s title shot case
In a recent interview with MMA Fighting, Oliveira made his case for skipping the line and surpassing Tsarukyan for the next lightweight title shot.
”I think Arman is there to fight for the title. However, if we’re going to talk about name value, what do I think? I think I sell a lot more than Arman. So I could move ahead of Arman,” Oliveira said of Tsarukyan.
“There’s this thing with Gaethje, that he could retire. If he retires, there’s no other path to take. After this fight, it would definitely be me and Arman fighting for the title. So, in reality, without a shadow of a doubt, we’re waiting on a guy who needs to decide his next step.
“If I win this fight, I would definitely be next in line, regardless of whether Gaethje comes back or not, because that would be a very big fight that sells really well.” (h/t Bloody Elbow)
As of this writing, Gaethje hasn’t announced his final decision on whether or not he’ll retire after defeating Ilia Topuria earlier this year. If Oliveira is victorious in December, don’t be surprised if he and Tsarukyan clash in a rematch for the vacant title.
What is your prediction for Charles Oliveira vs. Diego Lopes? Share your thoughts in the comments!
This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM
