Charles Oliveira’s coach reveals who deserves a BMF fight. Charles Oliveira’s next move remains unclear, but his coach and manager Diego Lima has already made his position clear on the type of opponent he wants for the UFC BMF champion.
Oliveira currently has no fight booked, but Lima says the former lightweight champion wants to return before the end of 2026. The Brazilian is also targeting a potential rematch with Justin Gaethje, although Gaethje may not compete again this year.
The former UFC lightweight champion and current BMF titleholder has just returned to training after the death of his longtime friend and teammate Allan Nascimento earlier this month, and his goal is to fight before the end of 2026.
The most logical next step would be competing on the November or December numbered shows in New York and Las Vegas, respectively, but it’s still up in the air. The BMF picture added another layer to Oliveira’s situation. Oliveira captured the symbolic title by defeating Max Holloway at UFC 326 in March 2026, and Lima believes the next BMF matchup needs more than two elite fighters, it needs two fighters who can generate serious interest from fans
“He doesn’t want to be inactive for too long,” Lima said. “Obviously, if they tell us that a title shot in April is guaranteed, then of course we’ll wait. But he wants to work, so I believe that maybe in about 15 days we’ll start some negotiations.”
“Arman [Tsarukyan], regardless of the outcome [of his UFC 331 clash with Mauricio Ruffy], is a strong name, so he’s a very interesting option,” Lima said. “Diego Lopes is moving up [now], but he’s a guy who has fought for the title twice, he’s a guy who sells well, he’s explosive, so he would be an exceptional name in the division. Why not? ‘Oh, but it doesn’t make sense, it would be his first fight in the division?’ Man, you have to understand that these are fights that take us somewhere. There’s no point in thinking about fighting a guy who is very important, but doesn’t sell and doesn’t take us anywhere.
“Arman is an interesting name. Lopes, why not? He’s interesting too. He’s moving up, he’s fought for the title twice. He’s an aggressive fighter. He’s definitely going to sell. At the same time, we want the title. That’s our ultimate goal. The title. We’ll wait. Otherwise, we want to work. And some fights pay more, some fights pay less. We weigh everything up.”
Lima said it’s yet-to-be-decided if Oliveira’s BMF belt will be on the line the next time he enters the octagon, and the deciding factor is the opponent.
“Charles’ next fight won’t necessarily be for the BMF title,” Lima said. “There are two paths: either we fight for the BMF title, which is a negotiation and a matter of the purse, or we take the fight that perhaps we need to take to get to the title shot.”
Lima pointed to Diego Lopes as one fighter who makes more sense for a BMF matchup.
Lopes brings plenty of action to the Octagon and has already competed twice for the UFC featherweight title. His aggressive fighting style and growing fan base make him the type of opponent Lima believes could create the spectacle associated with the BMF belt.
Paddy Pimblett also fits the commercial side of the equation.
“I’m not going to tell you that Arman doesn’t sell because that’s not what I mean, but to fight for the BMF title, the athlete has to have a very strong media appeal,” Lima said. “The BMF isn’t about being the toughest guy, it’s about having major media appeal. That’s the reality. If we take an athlete who has a huge media following, then the fight is for the BMF title. If there isn’t that kind of media appeal, then it’s not for the BMF title.”
“In my opinion, and I think it’s the public’s opinion as well, Charles has a history with Gaethje, so he would be the more marketable name,” Lima said. “We know that, financially speaking, he’s the best name for Gaethje to fight. But we also know that Arman is up there. Those would perhaps be the two names where a fight between them would guarantee a title shot, for example.”
For now, Oliveira’s next opponent remains uncertain, but his camp knows exactly what it wants: a fight that delivers action, star power and the true spirit of the BMF title. Whether that means Lopes, Pimblett or another dangerous contender, Oliveira’s next matchup promises plenty of fireworks.
