Report: Charles Oliveira vs. Dustin Poirier Title Fight Targeted for UFC 269

Charles Oliveira is expected to defend his UFC lightweight title against Dustin Poirier at UFC 269 on Dec. 11, according to Damon Martin and Guilherme Cruz of MMA Fighting.

A verbal agreement is reportedly in place for both fighters, although no contracts have been signed.

Farah Hannoun of MMA Junkie reported the date works for Oliveira, but there will be a meeting in the coming days.

Oliveira won the vacated lightweight belt after Khabib Nurmagomedov retired after the Brazilian knocked out Michael Chandler in May. His first defense will seemingly now coming against the No. 1-ranked fighter in the 155-pound division.

Poirier is coming off consecutive wins over Conor McGregor and has won seven of his last eight bouts. The Louisiana native won an interim UFC title with a victory over Max Holloway in April 2019 but could not win the unifying match against Nurmagomedov five months later.

Oliveira never faced Khabib, which caused some to question his inclusion in the title fight last May:

The 31-year-old will now get a chance to prove himself against a well-regarded opponent.

Both Oliveira (31-8) and Poirier (28-6) will enter this bout with a lot of experience to create what could be one of the more anticipated matchups of the year.