If UFC president Dana White gets his way, yet another lightweight barnburner is on the way.
One of MMA’s most popular competitors in Justin Gaethje, is likely to take on one of the hottest fighters in the sport, Charles Oliveira.
While the fight is far from official and does not have a date or venue, White indicated in a Tuesday chat with ESPN+ subscribers that this is a fight he’s keen on making.
“If everything works out, it will probably be Justin Gaethje,” White told host Laura Sanko in response to a viewer question asking who would be next for Oliveira (30-8 MMA, 18-8 UFC).
Oliveira is coming off the biggest victory of his career, a unanimous decision over former interim lightweight champion Tony Ferguson in the co-feature bout of UFC 256. That was the eighth victory in a row for “Do Bronx,” and the only one in that run which didn’t result in a finish.
Gaethje (22-3 MMA, 5-3 UFC), meanwhile, is also a former interim lightweight titleholder. The all-action standout is looking to rebound from a loss to Khabib Nurmagemov in a championship unifier at UFC 254. The second-round submission loss snapped a four-fight win streak.