Conor McGregor has doubled down on his expectations of receiving a title shot upon his UFC return by getting an early start on hyping a fight against Charles Oliveira.
At UFC 269, Charles Oliveira logged his first successful lightweight title defense when he submitted Dustin Poirier in the main event. UFC President Dana White has confirmed that Justin Gaethje will be next up for Oliveira, and Gaethje is already salivating at the future showdown.
However, according to Conor McGregor, there is an X-factor in the 2022 lightweight title equation.
Conor McGregor Sets His Sights On Charles Oliveira
Last month, Conor McGregor caught many by surprise when the #9-ranked contender said he would be challenging for the lightweight title when he returns to action in 2022. Now that the UFC 269 dust has settled, McGregor again inserted himself into the lightweight title picture.
“So what date am I fighting Oliveira?” McGregor asked Monday morning. He would then begin promoting the fight as a future international incident in the tweet below.
McGregor would also share an image of himself in the gym with a UFC world title around his waist and a poster of himself hoisting up two UFC titles at UFC 205 in the background.
It seems McGregor may be expecting to skip Justin Gaethje in the lightweight title queue since he singled out Oliveira instead of generalizing a title shot being next for him.
Many would expect a fourth fight between McGregor and Dustin Poirier after the Irishman’s adamance at receiving a rematch following his doctor’s stoppage loss at UFC 264. With Poirier not capturing lightweight gold, there is nothing standing in the way of immediately booking that fight again, an idea that Dana White has expressed interest in.
McGregor has not won a fight since January 2020 and is 1-3 in his last four outings. Thus, a world title shot upon his return would seem to be a tough sell on principle, even if not at the box office.
McGregor has also mentioned other bouts awaiting him in his near future. And with the noticeable weight gains he’s made during his post-surgery layoff, a welterweight run doesn’t seem at all out of the question, either, something else the Irishman has teased in the past.
As of Monday, however, McGregor only has one name and one name only on his mind: undisputed UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira.
Do you think we’ll be seeing Charles Oliveira vs. Conor McGregor in 2022?
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