Charles Oliveira is “eager to fight” and declares that he will “be back soon”

Charles Oliveira is still waiting to find out when he will put on his gloves and step back into the Octagon.

“Do Bronx” hasn’t fought since UFC 300 in April 2024, where he lost a close decision to Arman Tsarukyan. The former Brazilian lightweight champion wasn’t too banged up from that fight, and you’d think the promotion would get him back on his feet quickly, given that he’s one of their big stars and at the peak of his career.

But that is a mistake, because Charles remains on the sidelines and waits for news about his next fight.

“Family, I'm dying to fight and I know you all want to see me fight,” Oliveira wrote in a recent Instagram post. “I hope my fight happens soon and I count on your support. I'm doing my part by training. Soon the lightweight lion will go hunting!”

Oliveira has a lot of options right now, as he appears to be out of contention for the 155-pound title. Dan Hooker has claimed the UFC has talked about pitting them against each other, but we all know “The Hangman” will say anything these days to qualify for a big fight. Oliveira himself has said a fight with former featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski would be fun, and a rematch against Justin Gaethje would also be an option.

When asked about his future three weeks ago, the Brazilian lightweight athlete responded with a non-answer.

“Can’t [fight news] now my brother,” he said when a fan asked him what was next on X (formerly Twitter).

If he doesn't set a date soon, he may not be able to announce anything until 2025. Cards for the rest of the year are filling up quickly and the earliest we'd expect to see “Do Bronx” at that point would be November at Madison Square Garden, or maybe he'll end up on the December Las Vegas card, which is still slated for Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler.

If the UFC takes McGregor out of the running, as they've hinted at, Islam Makhachev could be the man to step in. Arman Tsarukyan recently said he wouldn't do an anti-bullying PSA to reduce an NSAC suspension for punching a fan, but we wonder if he's thought through that decision. He would then be ineligible to compete until January, potentially opening up the possibility for Oliveira to slip back into a title shot.

Who should Charles Oliveira fight next, Maniacs? Let us know in the comments below!