Not all that long ago, Charles Oliviera wasn’t even listed in the USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie lightweight rankings, and now he sits atop all of his peers.
In late 2017, after suffering a TKO loss to Paul Felder, Oliveira wasn’t in the top 15 of our list. He wasn’t among the three honorable mentions, either. But with nine consecutive wins since – eight of them by finish – and an astounding seven “Performance of the Night” bonuses, Oliveira has now ascended to the top of the lightweight list, while also making his debut on the pound-for-pound charts, as well.
Oliveira (31-8 MMA, 19-8 UFC) claimed the UFC lightweight title with his latest win, a stunning TKO over former Bellator lightweight champion Michael Chandler (22-6 MMA, 1-1 UFC) at UFC 262. Of course, those two weren’t the only top lightweights in action at this past weekend’s card, with Beneil Dariush (21-4-1 MMA, 15-4-1 UFC) also scoring a decision win over Tony Ferguson (25-6 MMA, 15-4 UFC).
Check out the new look of the 155-pound division in the latest edition of the USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings, as well as a few other changes made following UFC 262.
