Charles Oliveira is currently on the best run of his professional MMA career, having won seven straight fights while also being ranked #7 in the UFC Lightweight Division.
The fighter has two fights left on his current UFC contract and Oliveira?s manager in Diego Lima says Oliveira should compete one more time before negotiations for a new deal begins.
?We always re-sign before the last (fight), no exception,? Lima said to MMA Fighting. ?This last contract was a five-fight deal, so Kevin Lee was the third (fight). In theory he still has two left, so, because of the pandemic and everything else, we preferred to do the fourth (fight) before renewing.?
Oliveira has spent the last nine-plus years competing in the UFC and has earned an overall record of 17-8-0-1NC in the promotion.
Lima knows his client is on the path to a title shot and Lima wants to see Oliveira get another main event bout to solidify things.
?The right fight matters, but the main event definitely (is more important) because our strategy is to go for the belt, so we have to be smart now,? Lima said. ?He?s coming off seven wins, and we were very smart in taking those seven fights. We took opponents that had a name, and then we fought Kevin Lee on the right time, when we were the main event. What?s the point of fighting Kevin Lee in the main card opener? It wouldn?t have the same glamour that this fight deserves. With a win over Kevin Lee in a main event now, there?s no other option but to give him another main event, another good fight. And that?s how we go to the belt.?
There is no word yet on when Oliveira will fight again, but the Brazilian does hold the record for the most submissions in UFC history.