Merab Dvalishvili just defended the UFC bantamweight belt against Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 311, and might give Sean O’Malley a rematch next, but Vinicius Oliveira said he has a masterplan that will culminate with him holding the 135-pound gold by the end of 2025.
Oliveira dispatched Victor Madrigal at Dana White’s Contender Series and went on a perfect 2-0 run in the UFC in 2024, stopping Bernardo Sopaj in brutal fashion before winning a decision over seasoned veteran Ricky Simon. Booked to meet Said Nurmagomedov at UFC Saudi Arabia this Saturday, “Lok Dog” feels his path is clear in the UFC.
“I believe I will get a shot at the belt this year,” Oliveira told MMA Fighting. “I’ll have an incredible performance, something no one’s ever seen. I’ll win this fight and then I don’t know what the UFC will give me. I’ll call out who I want and the world knows who — and he’ll have nowhere to hide. If I get the fight I want next, then the belt comes this year.”
The name Oliveira wants next is Umar Nurmagomedov, with whom he has already traded shots online in the past. Both competed on the same night in March 2024, and the Brazilian vowed to “rip your heart out and feed it to some dogs” afterwards. Oliveira has mixed feelings about this match-up now since the Russian recently lost to Dvalishvili, but still likes the idea.
“I wanted to be the first to hand him a loss and that won’t happen anymore,” Oliveira said, “but I can be the first to hand him his second loss [laughs].”
“I’d love to fight Umar Nurmagomedov,” he continued. “We had a beef a while ago but he just lost, so fighting him doesn’t excite me that much. It’s a very interesting fight for me, but wouldn’t make sense 100 percent today. Sure, it would be important because he’s still up there and me beating him would speed things up for me to get to the belt, but it doesn’t excite me 100 percent anymore. But, sure, if there was someone I had to fight, he would be the first on the list.
“With everything I’m doing, the hype and the way I promote fights, the way the UFC promotes me… It may not look like it, but people in the UFC probably talk about me all the time. I’m a young prospect and I put on exciting fights. I talk the way I talk, I promote fights the way no one else does, and I put on exciting fights. That’s what the UFC wants, and that’s what I give them. The UFC is betting on me because I’m a showman.”
Oliveira called himself “the most complete fighter in the division” and said he’s capable of adapting to every situation. If locked in the octagon against the last title contender, Oliveira said he would “drown” Nurmagomedov in his own game.
“It will be just like Merab did,” he said. “The difference is that I’ll knock him out inside one round.”
Beating both Nurmagomedovs back-to-back would be a great feat that could help his case for a shot at the title later this year, but Oliveira doesn’t expect Dvalishvili to be sitting at the top when it’s his turn. Oliveira said he would love to challenge the 135-pound king, but would pick O’Malley to win a potential rematch.
Said, the first Nurmagomedov on the list, hasn’t fought since picking up a first-round submission over Muin Gafurov in October 2023, rebounding from his second octagon loss to Jonathan Martinez. The 32-year-old talent is 7-2 since joining the UFC.
“I need to prove that Russians aren’t unbeatable as many think,” Oliveira said. “I’ve fought tougher guys and I’m ready to fight on the feet, ready to fight on the ground, ready for all three rounds. I’m ready for 10 rounds if I have to. My cardio is one of my strongest weapons for a fight.”
Oliveira built his career in the United Arab Emirates before signing with the UFC, claiming and defending the UAE Warriors belt in Abu Dhabi soil, so competing in Saudi Arabia feels just like home to him.
“I’ll be fighting a Russian, and in theory that’s their home, they’re used to that time zone,” Oliveira said. “On paper, that’s all in their favor if you think about it. We came here [two weeks] early to get closer to perfection. I was once a king here in Arabia. I’m still the king. A king never loses his majesty. I got hit in the head, but the crown is still here. I’m always here. People know who I am. I have no pressure. I know victory will come. I’m training hard every single day, every second of the day. I can’t stop thinking about the fight. My opponent is tough, he’s skilled, but I have no doubt I’m better than him in every aspect of a fight.”
