Oliveira aiming to rise from the ashes after Topuria KO

Just 105 days after suffering a devastating first-round knockout at the hands of Ilia Topuria, Charles Oliveira is stepping back into the cage — and he’s doing it in front of his home crowd.

The former UFC lightweight champ will face Poland’s Mateusz Gamrot at UFC Rio de Janeiro in the early hours of Sunday morning (1:00 AM EST, streaming on MAX).

While some critics say he’s rushing his comeback, Oliveira is determined to bounce back in Brazil, where fan support for “Do Bronx” runs deep.

Flash KO that ended a title dream

Back on June 28 in Las Vegas, Topuria needed just 2 minutes and 27 seconds to end Oliveira’s hopes of reclaiming the lightweight belt. The Spanish-Georgian phenom fired off three straight left jabs, feinted a fourth, then caught Oliveira with a vicious right hook followed by a left. The Brazilian hit the canvas unconscious — a crushing end to his title bid, which had already been marred by a previous weight miss.

The loss hit Oliveira hard. He even considered retirement. But an outpouring of support from fans helped him shake off the doubt. Loved across the MMA world for his humility and warrior spirit, Oliveira is one of the sport’s most respected figures — even his opponents admire him. After the fight, Topuria reportedly told him, “I’m sorry, I didn’t want it to be you.”

Back in action — but not without drama

Less than four months later, Oliveira is ready to fight again. Originally scheduled to face Rafael Fiziev, plans changed when Fiziev suffered an injury three weeks before the event. The UFC scrambled to find a replacement, but few were willing to take on Oliveira on short notice — even coming off a loss at UFC 317.

French contender Benoît Saint Denis seemed like the ideal substitute, but he and his team declined the fight. That left Oliveira frustrated, as several fighters talked big but refused to sign the contract. The only one who stepped up? Mateusz Gamrot.

Gamrot, ranked No. 8 in the lightweight division (Oliveira sits at No. 4), is no easy matchup. He’s the last fighter to defeat rising star Arman Tsarukyan and recently bounced back with a win after losing to Dan Hooker. It’s a tough test for Oliveira’s return — but he’s never been one to seek easy fights.

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