There is currently no UFC lightweight champion after the retirement of Khabib Nurmagomedov, but Charles Oliveira believes he should be one of the two fighters who get a chance to claim the vacated strap.
Oliveira says his winning streak and ranking in the lightweight division should be enough to earn him a title shot.
“For everyone that loves fights or makes a living out of this, MMA reporters, that’s easy math,” Oliveira said to MMA Fighting. “I have the longest winning streak today, I don’t leave it in the hands of the judges, I finish them all. Everyone ranked ahead of me is coming off a loss (in the division). The only exception is Dustin Poirier. I think it’s only fair that I’m the next challenger, that I have a chance to fight for the belt. I know I’m No. 6 today and I know there are a lot of fighters ahead of me. Like I said, Dustin Poirier is coming off a win. Conor McGregor said he retired and now he’s booking a fight with Dustin Poirier. We don’t know who should be the other guy, but I think I deserve this. It’s seven in a row, not one, and I don’t go the distance. I just need an opportunity. But it’s not up to me or my team, it’s up to the UFC to look and analyze — but if they do it right, they’ll see it’s 10 years in the UFC, a 10-year road, and I’ve never turned down any opponent. This is my moment.”
The fighter is ranked no. 6 in the UFC lightweight division and the only fighter ranked ahead of him who has not gotten a title shot is no. 5 Dan Hooker. If a title opportunity doesn’t come Oliveira’s way, then he’d like to fight an opponent ranked ahead of him.
“Justin Gaethje, Dan Hooker, Tony Ferguson, I want to fight someone ranked ahead of me,” Oliveira said. “Charles Oliveira is ranked No. 6 now. Between No. 1 and 5, (bring) any of them. Dan Hooker said he’d fight in late-November and we’re almost in November now. I’ll fight him, no problem at all. I don’t want to fight someone ranked below me. I’ve been saying this since the beginning of the year. I’m not asking for too much.”
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