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Brett Okamoto
Former UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira will fight in Brazil for the first time in more than five years when he meets Rafael Fiziev on Oct. 11 in Rio de Janeiro.
UFC officials announced the 155-pound pairing Thursday. The five-round bout will headline UFC Fight Night inside Farmasi Arena. It will mark the UFC’s first trip to Rio de Janeiro since May 2024.
Oliveira (35-11), 35, is coming off a first-round knockout loss to Ilia Topuria for the vacant title at UFC 317 in June. It’s a relatively quick turnaround for Oliveira, although it comes at little surprise given the opportunity to fight at home.
Oliveira, who was born in Brazilian favelas, has not fought at home since March 2020. The event was historic, in that the UFC held it behind closed doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The last time Oliveira actually fought in front of a Brazilian crowd was November 2019.
Fiziev (13-4), 32, will look to further get his career back on track. He has shown high potential in the UFC, but he recently went through a three-fight skid that included two losses to former interim champion Justin Gaethje. He got back into the win column in June, with a decision win over Ignacio Bahamondes.
Oliveira and Fiziev are ranked Nos. 4 and 10 in the UFC’s lightweight rankings, respectively.