Charles Oliveira is all-in on a potential clash with Conor McGregor, but the former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) lightweight king believes “Notorious” is ducking an Octagon matchup.
While McGregor is still working his way back from a serious leg break suffered in his trilogy fight with Dustin Poirier in July 2021 the former UFC double champ has already hinted at a potential fight with Oliveira. McGregor has also put his hat in the ring for a clash with reigning UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman, but that matchup seems less and less likely by the day for a variety of reasons.
The UFC’s lightweight division has a plethora of readily available contenders to fight Oliveira for the vacant 155-pound title, but “Do Bronx” would welcome a clash with McGregor above all. In fact, Oliveira called McGregor out following his recent submission win over Justin Gaethje at UFC 274 (highlights HERE).
It now appears that Oliveira doesn’t believe McGregor actually wants to fight him. The No. 1 lightweight fighter in the world thinks “Notorious” is ducking their matchup after seeing his most recent fight.
“I think when we’re on a losing streak, we should think a lot about who our next opponent will be, right?” Oliveira told Face Off’s Luis Coutinho in a recent interview [translation via Brazilian MMA Legends on YouTube]. “I think for some time now, he’s been thinking a lot that I’m the division problem. That I’m a problem to fight him. And I think the answer has already been given, right? He ran, is in shock at what could happen.”
Whether you love him or hate him, McGregor has always gone above and beyond to accomplish the impossible and take on the biggest challenges available. While a matchup with Usman would be the ultimate return fight for the Irishman a clash with Oliveira would be just as entertaining, especially if it was contested for the vacant lightweight title.
Oliveira, who is UFC’s all-time leader in finishes and submissions, has proved to be one of the most complete fighters in the sport today. “Do Bronx” is currently riding an 11-fight win streak with three-straight stoppages over Gaethje, Poirier, and Michael Chandler. It would be quite difficult for McGregor to stop that type of success in his first fight back, but we’ve seen crazier things happen inside of the Octagon.