UFC light-weight champion Charles Oliveira has expressed a need to maneuver up and down throughout weight courses to problem for extra titles.
After a retiring Khabib Nurmagomedov relinquished the light-weight belt in late 2020, Oliveira knocked out Michael Chandler final Might to win the vacant gold, earlier than submitting Dustin Poirier in December to retain it.
Whereas the Brazilian’s subsequent combat seems prone to be a light-weight title defence in opposition to Justin Gaethje or Conor McGregor, Oliveira is eyeing potential clashes with welterweight champion Kamaru Usman and featherweight title holder Alexander Volkanovski.
Oliveira, who competed at featherweight earlier than shifting as much as 155lbs, informed MMA Preventing: “I actually thought I couldn’t drop to 145 anymore.
“However this final weight lower, I used to be actually [close to] 155 earlier than the combat with this work we’ve been doing, with a number of water within the physique, and we consider we might simply make 145.
“If I had the chance to go straight for the 145 belt, I’d transfer right down to combat. Additionally, if I had the chance to go straight for the 170 belt, I’d additionally transfer as much as combat.
“However I consider it’s extra viable to [drop down] to 145 as a substitute of going to 170 at this second. Turning into a two-division champion, a Brazilian man, can be superior.”
Solely seven fighters have ever held UFC titles in two totally different divisions, with simply 4 of them holding these belts concurrently. Among the many latter group is Oliveira’s compatriot Amanda Nunes, who’s ladies’s featherweight champion and solely just lately misplaced her bantamweight belt.
Any bid by Oliveira to grow to be a dual-weight champion will doubtless have to attend, as Volkanovski and Usman look set to defend their titles quickly.
Volkanovski was because of tackle Max Holloway in a trilogy bout at UFC 272 in March, however Holloway has withdrawn from that combat because of harm – per ESPN – with Chan Sung Jung the frontrunner to interchange the Hawaiian.
In the meantime, Usman is predicted to defend his title in opposition to former opponent Leon Edwards within the close to future.
Whereas Gaethje is the No1-ranked light-weight within the UFC, Oliveira has made no secret of his want to combat McGregor subsequent.
Kaynak: briturkish.com
