The UFC was in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Saturday for a solid UFC Rio Fight Night card. The main event saw Charles Oliveira taking on Mateusz Gamrot at lightweight.

Entering the fight, Oliveira was coming off a KO loss to Ilia Topuria for the vacant lightweight title. Gamrot, meanwhile, was coming off a decision win over L’udovit Klein.

Ultimately, it was Oliveira who got the job done with a second-round submission win to return to the win column. Following UFC Rio, here is what I think should be next for the lightweight contenders.

Charles Oliveira

Charles Oliveira was coming off a KO loss to Ilia Topuria back in June for the lightweight title, and his future as a contender was questioned. However, Oliveira silenced those doubters with a solid submission win over Gamrot to prove he’s still a legit contender at lightweight.

With the win, Oliveira is right back in the title picture at lightweight and should get a big fight next time out. The logical fight for the Brazilian is to rematch Max Holloway for the BMF belt. Oliveira and Holloway fought back in 2015, and the ending was odd as Oliveira suffered an injury to his esophagus. Oliveira vs. Holloway can headline a numbered card sometime in 2026 in what would be a highly anticipated fight.

Mateusz Gamrot

Mateusz Gamrot stepped up on short notice to take on Charles Oliveira in a pivotal fight at lightweight. Gamrot was looking to solidify himself as a title contender. He had a good first round, but in the second round, Oliveira got a hold of his back and forced the tap.

Although Gamrot lost, he’s still a top-10 lightweight and should get a big fight next time out. A logical next bout for Gamrot is to take on Renato Moicano. Both fighters need a win as the winner could get a top-10 opponent. The loser, meanwhile, would become a gatekeeper and likely have to fight an unranked opponent next.