UFC News: Oliveira vs Lopes Tops UFC 335, Pereira Returns

UFC News This Week: Oliveira vs Lopes Tops UFC 335, Pereira Returns and Silva Takes the Belt

Oct 5, 2026 · By Dan Kessler, Editor

Alex Pereira flexing in a feathered headdress and red face paint at the UFC Freedom 250 ceremonial weigh-in in Washington, D.C.

Image: U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Brittany Primavera (public domain), via Wikimedia Commons

UFC 335 gets its headliners: Oliveira defends the BMF belt against Lopes

The biggest news of the week is that the last numbered UFC card of 2026 finally has a shape. On Saturday 3 October, during the UFC 332 broadcast, the UFC confirmed that Charles Oliveira will defend the BMF title against Diego Lopes in the main event of UFC 335 on Saturday 12 December at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Oliveira (37-11, 1 NC) won the symbolic belt with a unanimous decision over Max Holloway at UFC 326 in March and sits at No. 3 in the lightweight rankings. Lopes (28-8) is the more interesting part of the story: he has twice challenged Alexander Volkanovski for the featherweight title, beat Steve Garcia at UFC Freedom 250 in June, and now moves up to 155 lb for the first time.

The rest of the main card arrived at the same time. Alex Pereira meets Sergei Pavlovich in a five-round heavyweight co-main event, Joe Pyfer faces Bo Nickal at middleweight and Brandon Moreno takes on Charles Johnson at flyweight. That is four bouts with clear stakes, and it puts two former UFC champions, Pereira and Moreno, below the headliner.

For UK viewers this is a late one. The UFC lists the main card at 2am GMT on Sunday 13 December on TNT Sports, with prelims from midnight on UFC Fight Pass. In the US the card streams on Paramount+.

What the BMF headliner also tells you is what UFC 335 is not. It is not a title fight in an undisputed division, and that leads directly to the week's second story.

Pereira returns at heavyweight against Pavlovich

Alex Pereira gets his second heavyweight fight against the man directly above him in the rankings. Pavlovich is No. 2 at heavyweight and Pereira No. 3, and the bout has been given five rounds even though no belt is on the line.

Pereira (13-4) is a former middleweight and light heavyweight champion who vacated the 205 lb title to chase a third division. That plan stalled in June, when Ciryl Gane stopped him in the second round at UFC Freedom 250. Pavlovich (21-3) arrives on a three-fight winning streak, including a 39-second knockout at UFC Macau in May and a stoppage of Tallison Teixeira; his only shot at gold was the interim title loss to Tom Aspinall in November 2023.

The booking came out in an unusual way. Dana White revealed it during UFC 332 on a Kick stream with the streamer Nina Drama, after a joint Instagram video promoting the idea passed 28,500 comments in about nine hours. The UFC then confirmed it on its own social channels the same night.

The winner should be very close to a heavyweight title shot. Ciryl Gane, now the undisputed champion after Tom Aspinall vacated, defends against the unbeaten Josh Hokit at UFC 334 on 14 November, and a Pereira win would put the Gane rematch firmly on the table for 2027.

Strickland vs Imavov stalls over money

The middleweight title fight that was widely expected to headline UFC 335 did not happen, and the reason given on all sides is pay rather than injury. Champion Sean Strickland was healthy and available for 12 December, but talks broke down late and the UFC turned to the BMF belt instead.

Strickland had already said as much. On 27 September he posted on X that "we're discussing pay now" and that the fight would be locked in once that was settled. In early October, when a fan suggested money was the sticking point, he replied "bingo" in an Instagram comment.

Nassourdine Imavov answered on Sunday 4 October with an offer on X to put up $500,000 of his own money if Strickland beats him in January, and he went further by calling for the title to be stripped if negotiations drag on. Figures for what each side wants have circulated online, but none has been confirmed by Strickland, Imavov or the UFC, so treat them with caution.

What happens next: January is now the date both men are talking about. Until a contract is signed, the middleweight division is on hold, and the contenders queuing behind Imavov are stuck with it.

Head and shoulders photo of Nassourdine Imavov in a black fleece jacket before a fight in 2022

Image: JoeKhanMMA, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Natalia Silva wins flyweight gold as UFC 332 breaks the knockout record

Natalia Silva is the new UFC women's flyweight champion. At UFC 332 in Salt Lake City on Saturday 3 October she beat Wang Cong by unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 49-46) for the title Valentina Shevchenko vacated through injury. Silva is now 9-0 in the UFC and has won 15 fights in a row.

Dana White thought Wang left it late, saying it would have been "a completely different fight" had she pushed the pace earlier. The UFC's own review of the card lists Alexa Grasso, Erin Blanchfield, Jasmine Jasudavicius and Shevchenko as possible challengers, and Blanchfield fights Jasudavicius on 17 October in Edmonton.

The undercard was the real headline for many fans. UFC 332 produced 11 knockouts, a modern UFC record for one event, and nine first-round finishes. Payton Talbott stopped former two-time flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo at 2:09 of the first round and then called out Sean O'Malley.

The bonus structure was the business story. Johnny Walker, Damian Pinas, Imanol Rodriguez and Roman Kopylov each took $100,000 for Performance of the Night, there was no Fight of the Night, and seven more finishers, Talbott included, received $25,000 finish bonuses. Our full UFC 332 recap goes through every result.

Michael Morales says his January fight is booked

Unbeaten welterweight Michael Morales says he already has his next fight agreed for January, against an opponent he did not name. The No. 3 ranked contender said it in an interview published on 3 October, adding that the bout had slipped from December to January.

He ruled out the two names fans had linked him with. "It's neither Prates nor Ian Garry," he said, adding that neither wanted the fight. He called it his last fight before a title shot and said the plan is to fight for the belt in June.

Morales has not fought since beating Sean Brady at UFC 322 in November 2025, so a January return would mean a gap of more than a year. Until the UFC announces the opponent, the welterweight picture stays cloudy; the next ranked test at 170 lb is Joaquin Buckley against Mike Malott in Edmonton on 17 October.

Michael Morales smiling in a dark hoodie beside the flag of Ecuador at the presidential palace in Quito

Image: Presidencia de la República del Ecuador (public domain), via Wikimedia Commons

Horie stops Usami as RIZIN visits Nagasaki

Outside the UFC, the main result of the week came from Japan. Former UFC fighter Yoshinori Horie stopped Sho Patrick Usami at 3:37 of the second round in the main event of RIZIN Landmark 16 in Nagasaki on 3 October, landing a sharp elbow to the bridge of the nose and finishing with follow-up strikes.

The fight was meant to be at lightweight but was moved to 160 lb after Usami missed weight. Horie improves to 16-6, with a 7-3 record in RIZIN.

Viktor Kolesnik stopped Koyomi Matsushima 20 seconds into the second round, and Hyuma Yasui took a unanimous decision over Ryan Cafaro. Seiya Inoue stopped Ryusei Ashizawa at 4:56 of the first round in a bantamweight fight Sherdog rated a Round of the Year contender.

What to watch next week

Tuesday 6 October: Dana White's Contender Series week 9, the season's penultimate show, at the Meta APEX. Preston LaGrange against Nell Ariano at light heavyweight leads five bouts. The UFC says 38 contracts have been handed out through eight weeks, putting the season on course for the most graduates in the show's history.

Saturday 10 October: UFC Fight Night: Allen vs Duncan at the Meta APEX. No. 4 middleweight Brendan Allen faces No. 10 Christian Leroy Duncan, with Matheus Camilo against Jai Herbert, Loopy Godinez against Ketlen Souza and Andre Fili against Kai Kamaka III also on the card. In the UK the prelims start at 10pm BST on UFC Fight Pass and the main card at 1am BST on Sunday on TNT Sports.

Also coming: the first rankings update to include UFC 332, plus any movement on Strickland against Imavov. Further ahead, Alexander Volkanovski defends the featherweight title against Movsar Evloev at UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi on 24 October.

Sources

FAQs

When is UFC 335 and who is fighting?

UFC 335 is on Saturday 12 December 2026 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Charles Oliveira defends the BMF title against Diego Lopes in the main event, Alex Pereira meets Sergei Pavlovich in a five-round heavyweight co-main, and Joe Pyfer against Bo Nickal and Brandon Moreno against Charles Johnson complete the announced main card.

What time does UFC 335 start in the UK?

The UFC lists the UFC 335 main card at 2am GMT on Sunday 13 December on TNT Sports. The prelims start at midnight on UFC Fight Pass, with early prelims from 10pm on the Saturday. Times can shift as the card is finalised, so check the event page in fight week.

Why is Strickland vs Imavov not on UFC 335?

Pay. Sean Strickland was healthy and available for 12 December, but negotiations broke down late, and he confirmed money was the issue both on X and in an Instagram reply. Nassourdine Imavov responded by offering $500,000 of his own money if Strickland beats him in January. No new date has been confirmed by the UFC.

Is the BMF title a real UFC championship?

No. The BMF belt is a symbolic title the UFC introduced for exciting, high-profile fights, and it carries no place in the official rankings or the lightweight title queue. Previous holders include Jorge Masvidal, Justin Gaethje and Max Holloway, and Charles Oliveira won it from Holloway at UFC 326 in March 2026.

Who is the UFC women's flyweight champion now?

Natalia Silva. She won the vacant title at UFC 332 on 3 October 2026, beating Wang Cong by unanimous decision with scores of 48-47, 48-47 and 49-46. The belt was vacated by Valentina Shevchenko through injury, and Silva is now unbeaten in nine UFC fights.

What record did UFC 332 set?

UFC 332 produced 11 knockouts, the most at a single UFC event in the modern era, along with nine first-round finishes. Four fighters earned $100,000 Performance of the Night bonuses, seven more took $25,000 finish bonuses, and no Fight of the Night was awarded because so few fights went the distance.