What's Next for Charles Oliveira Following Submission Victory Against Mateusz Gamrot?

Rio De Janeiro, the site of Charles Oliveira’s recent victory - Source: Unsplash

October 11th, in front of his adoring public in Rio de Janeiro, Charles Oliveira proved that he still has plenty of gas left in the tank as he rolled back the years to choke out Polish contender Mateusz Gamrot and catapult himself back to the summit of the lightweight division. Many wondered what Do Bronx had left following his brutal knockout loss to Ilia Topuria back in June, but he answered those questions resoundingly in Brazil.

Heading into the clash, online sports betting sites made the hometown hero the narrow favorite to secure the victory, with his lofty billing coming off the back of a murderer's row of opponents in the last three years. Those who bet on sports at Bovada will have got odds of 1.80 on Do Bronx emerging victorious, and ultimately, that price should have been far shorter, as we discovered on fight night. After dominating throughout the first round, Do Bronx locked in a face crank in the second, with Gamrot forced to tap out and Oliveira left to celebrate in front of his raucous fans.

Now, attention turns to the future. Oliveira called out reigning BMF champ Max Holloway in the Octagon post-fight, but does that fight have any chance of coming to fruition? Here is what's likely next for the iconic Charles Do Bronx.

Max Holloway

The fight that Oliveira clearly wants is a rematch with BMF Max Holloway. The pair initially clashed back in 2015, with the Hawaii native winning, and the Brazilian coming in for criticism after seemingly quitting after suffering from some kind of neck injury while attempting a takedown. Holloway was awarded the TKO victory, while Do Bronx was confirmed to have suffered a micro-tear in his esophagus.

In the decade since then, however, Oliveira has shed his previous skin and emerged as a genuine superstar. Victories against the likes of Tony Ferguson, Michael Chandler, Justin Gaethje, and Dustin Poirier led him to the lightweight title, and while another title tilt seems unlikely, a clash with Holloway for the BMF strap is a bout worthy of top billing. The Blessed One has also reinvented himself numerous times since the pair's initial clash, with him too defeating both Gaethje and Poitier, knocking out the former in one of the most brutal knockouts of all time, as well as retiring the latter in his most recent clash back in July.

AND STILL THE BMF! MAX FKN HOLLOWAY #UFC318pic.twitter.com/C4M9X5DIVy

— Bovada (@BovadaOfficial) July 20, 2025

Speaking on a Kick stream after Oliveira's victory, Holloway seemed open to a rematch ten years in the making, albeit not on Do Bronx's home turf of Brazil. A March 2026 date in Las Vegas seems the most likely option.

Arman Tsarukyan

Some rivalries are written by fate, others by razor-thin margins. Oliveira vs. Tsarukyan belongs to both. Their first meeting at UFC 300 last August was a spectacle of technical violence—a narrow split decision victory for the Armenian that left no one fully satisfied. Statistically, Tsarukyan controlled key wrestling exchanges, but Oliveira’s five credible submission attempts were the night’s heartbeat; twice, Tsarukyan skated on the edge of defeat.

Since then, Akhalkalakets has done most of his talking in the press, rather than with his fists. He was scheduled to face off with Islam Makhachev for the lightweight title at UFC 311 back in January, but pulled out the day before the event after suffering an injury while cutting weight. That drew the ire of UFC head honcho Dana White, who has repeatedly refused to offer Tsarukyan another title shot, this time with new champion Ilia Topuria, much to the dismay of the Armenian fighter.

It appears then that the 29-year-old would require one more victory in order to face off with El Matador for the gold. What better opponent than an informed Oliveira, especially after the tight nature of their initial clash? The winner will almost certainly secure number one contender status, and it represents the perfect opportunity for Do Bronx to vanquish the ghosts of the pair's previous clash with victory, almost certainly guaranteeing him another crack at Topuria.

Paddy Pimblett

Every generation introduces a disruptor, and Paddy Pimblett’s star is shining bright—sometimes blindingly so. The Liverpudlian’s undefeated UFC ledger is short on elite names, but loaded with personality. The brash Brit's recent dominant victory against Michael Chandler was without question the finest display of his UFC career, but it was still only enough for seventh in the lightweight rankings.

The Baddy has campaigned for a clash with champion Topuria, with the two having a very real rivalry already built following a foul-mouthed UFC London press conference three years ago. The fact remains, however, that many fans and perhaps even UFC brass feel that Pimblett hasn't yet done enough to secure a shot at the king. Step up, Oliveria.

Do Bronx has emerged as somewhat of a gatekeeper at 155 pounds, and should Pimblett manage to defeat him, most of his detractors will be silenced once and for all. Still, the gap in experience is enormous—Oliveira’s resume dwarfs Pimblett’s by nearly 30 UFC fights, with far bigger names vanquished. Yet, drama has its own gravitational pull, and this matchup could draw eyes even as it raises eyebrows.