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Oliveira to fight for vacant title with victory at UFC 274

Chris Unger / UFC / Getty

Although Charles Oliveira is set to be stripped of the UFC lightweight title after he missed weight Friday, there's still a lot at stake for him against Justin Gaethje.

Victory over Gaethje at UFC 274 on Saturday in Phoenix would leave the belt vacant, and Oliveira would then receive an immediate shot at the title, the promotion said in a statement.

In that scenario, Oliveira would fight "the next challenger for the undisputed title belt at a time and place to be determined."

The Brazilian weighed in at 155.5 pounds ahead of Saturday's main event, which is 0.5 pounds over the divisional limit for title fights. Gaethje will still win the lightweight title should he defeat Oliveira.

While it's unclear whom Oliveira would face in a potential vacant title fight, No. 3-ranked lightweight Islam Makhachev, who's won 10 fights in a row, could be a top option.

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