Charles do Bronx celebrates his return to Brazil and speaks out about his fight at UFC Rio

Charles of the Bronx in victory in the UFC. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram

Charles of the Bronx is back in Brazil. Former UFC lightweight champion (up to 70,3 kg), the fighter has confirmed his next commitment as the main event of UFC Rio, which takes place on October 11th at Farmasi Arena in Rio de Janeiro. His opponent will be the Kyrgyz Raphael Fiziev, currently ranked number 10 in the division.

The announcement was made by the Brazilian himself through a video published on his social media this Thursday (7). In an emotional tone, Charles thanked the organization for the opportunity and celebrated the chance to fight in front of his fans after more than five years away from the octagon on national soil.

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Charles do Bronx faces Rafael Fiziev in the main event of UFC Rio

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"Hey, my family. Good morning, good afternoon, good evening. I don't know what time you'll be watching this video. But I'm so grateful to God for another huge opportunity he's given me. Next, Dana White, Hunter (Campbell), Sean Shelby. Thank you for answering my request. I'll tell you all: October 11th, on the UFC Rio card, Charles Oliveira vs. Fiziev, the main fight of the night. I'm very happy about all of this. I'm counting on the positive energy of all of you. May we be together, with the positivity so that everything works out. I'm so happy. It's been a long time since I fought in Brazil, and being able to fight in Brazil is very important to me. I'm counting on the positive energy of all of you," Charles said in a statement on Instagram.

This will be the first time the UFC has held a Fight Night event in Rio de Janeiro since March 2015, and the organization's 13th visit to the city. The UFC's last visit to Rio was in UFC 301, in May 2024.

Charles Oliveira says he asked the UFC to headline #UFCRio in October

"Dana White, Hunter, Sean Shelby. Thank you for fulfilling my request…

It's been a long time since I fought in Brazil, and being able to fight again in Brazil is very important to me.”

... pic.twitter.com/wjwkyXtied

— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) August 7, 2025

Charles do Bronx faces Rafael Fiziev at UFC Rio

Currently ranked 4th in the lightweight rankings, Charles is looking to bounce back from a first-round knockout loss to Ilia Topuria, in a duel valid for the vacant belt in UFC 317, in June of this year. The fight marked his first attempt to regain the title he lost in 2022, and the São Paulo native is now looking to get back to winning ways at home.

On the other side of the octagon will be Raphael Fiziev, known for his aggressive style and stand-up technique. The fighter is coming off a unanimous decision victory over Ignatius Bahamondes, snapping a three-game losing streak. Before that, the Kyrgyz suffered setbacks to Justin gaethje, Mateusz gamrot e Arman Tsarukyan, in addition to having faced a serious knee injury that kept him out for almost a year.