Charles Oliveira is still looking for an opponent to face him at UFC Rio … preferably one not named Mateusz Gamrot.
News came out last Friday (Sept. 19, 2025) that Rafael Fiziev was pulling out of the October 11th main event with an undisclosed injury, with the UFC hoping to replace him to keep “Do Bronx” at the top of the card. The only problem, according to Oliveira? All the people saying they’d step in were actually saying no behind closed doors.
“So far, every time the UFC calls, they say it’s
not possible,” Oliveira said. “Pathetic. You want to be famous? Go do something else. Don’t keep saying you want to fight me when that’s a lie.”
Oliveira claims Benoit Saint Denis and Renato Moicano said no. It’s very clear who has said yes: No. 8 ranked Gamrot, who immediately jumped on a plane to America the moment the fight became a possibility to train at American Top Team.
“Respect Charles but I told ufc straight – I want to face you in your own house,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “This will be a true masterclass on the ground, and I’m ready to prove it.”
The only problem? In a new interview with Laerte Viana, Oliveira said he didn’t want to fight Gamrot because he spent his entire camp preparing for a striker, not a wrestler like Gamrot.
“Completely different from the style I’ve been preparing for,” Oliveira said of Gamrot. “It’s a good style for me because of the wrestling and grappling part of it. But a completely different style from what I prepared for over a month, two months, you know?”
“I hear you’re worried about my style, even though you had a full training camp,” Gamrot wrote in another tweet. “I had none, and still I’m ready to step into the cage. Two weeks left to prepare – and I’m already in ATT right here. No excuses, let’s do this Charles.”
The clock is ticking with just three weeks left until UFC Rio. Can the promotion find someone last minute that Oliveira will face? Or will this quick turnaround for “Do Bronx” fall apart now that the MMA Gods have signaled their displeasure? We’ll keep you updated as this story develops.
