UFC President Dana White ended his silence on Sunday evening after returning from his holiday.
The UFC chief revealed a No. 1 contender fight for the forthcoming UFC 300 event. This showdown will feature former UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira facing off against Arman Tsarukyan. The UFC 300 pay-per-view spectacle is scheduled to take place at the T-Mobile Arena on April 13.
Charles Oliveira, boasting a record of 34 wins and 9 losses, holds the top position in the official UFC lightweight rankings. Initially anticipated to face the current UFC lightweight champion, Islam Makhachev, who halted Oliveira's impressive 11-fight winning streak, Oliveira's next bout is now pivoting due to the champion's recovery from an injury, as stated by White.
Oliveira secured the vacant UFC lightweight title in May 2021 with a TKO triumph over Michael Chandler at UFC 262. He successfully defended the title against Dustin Poirier at UFC 269, claiming victory via decision. However, Oliveira was stripped of his belt before UFC 274 in May 2022 due to weighing half a pound over the limit in his bout against Justin Gaethje.
Despite winning against Gaethje by submission, Oliveira fell short in his bid to reclaim the UFC lightweight title, submitting to Makhachev at UFC 280. Oliveira's latest victory came at UFC 289, securing a TKO win over Beneil Dariush.
Arman Tsarukyan, with a record of 21 wins and 3 losses, is riding high on a three-fight winning streak in the UFC. Ranked fourth in the official UFC 155-pound rankings, Tsarukyan's recent triumph was a knockout victory over Dariush in December 2023. His solitary defeat came via a decision against Mateusz Gamrot in June 2022.
The Oliveira vs. Tsarukyan clash joins the previously announced UFC 300 bouts: Aljamain Sterling vs. Calvin Kattar in the featherweight division, Jiri Prochazka vs. Aleksandar Rakic in the light heavyweight category, and Bo Nickal vs. Cody Brundage in a middleweight bout.
White has teased something "extraordinary" for the UFC 300 fight card. However, the promotion has yet to unveil the main event for the pay-per-view event.