Ahead of this month’s massive vacant lightweight title fight at UFC 280 in the Middle East, former division titleholder, Conor McGregor has picked former champion, Charles Oliveira to “easily” defeat the surging, Islam Makhachev and reclaim his belt.
McGregor, the current #11 ranked lightweight contender, faces the challenge of snapping a two-fight losing skid for the first time in his professional mixed martial arts career when he returns to the UFC next year, having most recently competed in July of last year.
Headlining UFC 264 against former interim titleholder, Dustin Poirier in a trilogy rubber match following a prior January knockout loss to the Lafayette native, McGregor fractured his left tibia and fibula in the opening round – resulting in a doctor’s stoppage TKO defeat.
Conor McGregor backs Charles Oliveira to win the lightweight title at UFC 280
Linked with a future fight against former undisputed champion, Oliveira in the future, McGregor has, however, picked the Sao Paulo native to defeat Makhachev with relative ease in Abu Dhabi, UAE later this month.
“Olly (sic) (Charles Oliveira) and easily,” Conor McGregor replied to a Twitter user who asked for his pick in the UFC 280 main event in a #AskNotorious session.
While picking Oliveira to prevail with championship in tow at UFC 280, McGregor, who holds victories over the Brazilian’s countrymen, Jose Aldo, and Diego Brandao in the UFC, believes he would stop Oliveira as well.
“I’ve KO’d every Brazilian I’ve fought,” Conor McGregor tweeted. “I KO Charles (Oliveira) too.”
Without a victory since January 2020, McGregor stopped Donald Cerrone with a first round 40-second TKO win at the welterweight limit in the main event of UFC 246 in his most recent win.
As for Oliveira, the Brazilian stopped former interim titleholder Justin Gaethje at UFC 274 back in May with a first round rear-naked choke. Oliveira was, however, stripped of the lightweight title after missing weight for the clash.