Charles Oliveira accuses UFC of being 'straight up disrespectful' before Justin Gaethje fight

01/25/2025 03:20 PM

Whilst Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev represent the two best champions in UFC lightweight history, there's an argument that the 'most popular' 155lb king was Charles 'do Bronx' Oliveira.

The fan-favorite Brazilian won the title in 2021 with a second-round TKO over Michael Chandler, before defending his coveted throne against Dustin Poirier later that same year.

Yet by the time he entered the octagon to face Justin Gaethje five months later, 'do Bronx' was no longer UFC champion; having been controversially stripped on the scales less than 24 hours earlier – something he still resents to this day.

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Charles Oliveira says the UFC were 'straight up disrespectful' over scale strip

Speaking through a translator on the JAXXON Podcast, Charles Oliveira accused the UFC of being "straight up disrespectful" over his losing of the title on the scales – a reminder that he weighed in at UFC 274 just 0.5lbs over the contractually agreed-upon limit.

"What the UFC did was straight up disrespectful; I always check my weight on Thursday, the night before. So, I already had the confidence… But I was already hearing rumors around… That the scale was calibrated.

"I was confident when I came back to the hotel, and I was 0.8lbs over… It felt like an awkward situation, and I felt disrespected because they took the weigh-in the night before when they were messing with the scale."

Oliveira argued that as the reigning and defending champion, he should have been the first to know if there was a potential issue with the scales, and that he still feels aggrieved that he was, in fact, one of the last to find out.

"They should let me know; I felt disrespected by them not doing it. So, when they said that I had to lose that [weight], I came back to the hotel room and started doing what I needed to do to get some sweat off.

"I had to do one of the things I hate the most," stated Oliveira, i.e., the dreaded sauna.

"I soaked in there for a minute, and then my underwear was all wet. I went down to weigh in again… And they said, 'Yo! Take it off because that's gonna cause some weight'. So I was already 0.2lbs overweight.

"And [then] when I went up on the scale – underwear off and everything – it was already still on 0.2lbs… So that's when I knew something was wrong with the scale."

"I just wish that I had a fair chance," concluded the iconic former champion, who has recently found himself being called out left and right by fellow UFC superstars.

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Charles Oliveira has the 'pick of the bunch' for his next UFC fight

Charles Oliveira is the #2 ranked UFC lightweight, and following his last-minute withdrawal from UFC 311, #1 ranked Arman Tsarukyan has now called out 'do Bronx' for a lightweight title eliminator.

"The number one contender has a name, and it's Arman Tsarukyan. If anyone wants to be the number one contender, they need to fight me – I'm ready and open.

"Don't be afraid to say my name. I promise, I won't hit too hard," he stated in an Instagram post alongside an image of his first fight with Oliveira.

There's also a potential BMF championship bout against 'Blessed' out there, with Max Holloway having accepted Oliveira's recent callout with a three-word message.

Who would you like to see Charles Oliveira fight next, and what do you make of his comments surrounding UFC 274?