Charles Oliveira and Justin Gaethje have shown their new-found respect for each other during a friendly backstage meeting after their UFC 274 clash.
Oliveira was set to defend his title in Phoenix last night but was stripped of his belt after missing weight the night before his latest outing. Gaethje still had the opportunity to claim the vacant belt at the second time of asking but was choked out by the Brazilian in an action-packed opening round.
Gaethje and Oliveira later saw each other backstage when the challenger put his thumbs up and waved at his rival in friendly respect. The Brazilian and his team acknowledged the gesture and had a group photo taken as they enjoyed the celebrations of yet another successful night for the former champion.
Oliveira was delighted with his performance against Gaethje and called out Conor McGregor to fight for the vacant belt next. "This is a message to the entire division; I am a problem for the entire division," he shouted after the fight. "I am enlightened, I am the champion, this is my title and it should be here. Dana White, I don't care [who I fight next], I'm not going to choose. Hey, Conor McGregor, are you going to come back or are you going to run away?"
Gaethje tapped out for the second time when challenging for a title following his defeat by Khabib Nurmagomedov in 2020 and faces a rebuild if he is to campaign for a third shot at the crown. Meanwhile Oliveira is in pole position to regain his belt but will likely need to face a leading contender.
McGregor appears less likely to fight for the belt at 155lb after Oliveira's call-out provoked an uncertain response from the Irishman who may opt to move up to 170lb. Oliveira may be keen to take a lucrative fight in his next outing, with UFC legend Chael Sonnen claiming the former champion may have lost up to $2million after vacating.
Who do you think is next for both Charles Oliveira and Justin Gaethje? Let us know in the comments section below
"I could probably come up with, right here in front of you, about $2.3m that that scale fail cost him," Sonnen said on his YouTube channel when assessing UFC 274. "Just so you understand how participation works for defending a championship. You must understand that word - defending a championship.
"So you're talking about the exact same thing, just that sponsor money goes down. You're looking at another 30 grand... but also the pay-per-view clause, you're looking at another million bucks. Don't forget the escalation that would go into his built-in show fee. Does not happen."
Michael Chandler threw his hat into the ring for a rematch with Oliveira by delivering a brutal stoppage of Tony Ferguson to retain his interest in challenging for the title. The American also joined Oliveira in reiterating a fight call-out to the returning McGregor.
