The lightweight belt has just landed in the hands of someone not named Khabib, and Conor McGregor is already rubbing his hands in anticipation.
Charles Oliveira certainly doesn’t look like the toughest S.O.B. in the UFC’s lightweight division. But you better believe he is, or suffer the same fate as Michael Chandler and the eight other 155ers in a row “Do Bronx” finished en route to winning the lightweight title at UFC 262 (watch the highlights here).
One man who certainly isn’t bowing down is former double champ Conor McGregor, who is looking at Oliveira as a placeholder until he can come back and take the belt again.
“Congrats to Olivera on becoming the 11th UFC lightweight champion,” McGregor wrote on Twitter. “Wonder who Twelve is…”
Congrats to Olivera on becoming the 11th UFC lightweight champion.
Wonder who Twelve is…— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) May 16, 2021
Not only a new bit of Mystic Mac-ism but a not so subtle plug of his Proper Twelve whiskey. And maybe that’s the problem … sometimes it feels like maybe McGregor is sticking around just to pump his business endeavors. Meanwhile, there’s no doubt as to how committed Charles Oliveira is.
Oliveira doesn’t even seem to think McGregor is going to get past Dustin Poirier in July for a crack at him.
“Conor, worry about Dustin,” Oliveira said at the UFC 262 post-fight press conference (through an interpreter). “Conor, since you’re so tough: First of all, you beat Dustin, and then you come over to Brazil and I’m going to put you on your ass. First he’s got to get past Dustin. He’s one of these guys that just talks a lot. He’s got to beat Dustin first.”
“I battled hard to get here. Everyone’s talking about who it’s going to be next, Poirier or Conor? I’ll leave that my manager, and I’m going to go home and rest.”
The great thing about being champ is no more chasing. Now everyone has to line up and face him.
“I’m the champ now, if they want to come, they can come,” Oliveira told ESPN. “I’ve called him out a bunch of times and he never wanted it. Now he has to come after me. Everybody’s coming. This [lightweight title] is the target now. But I’m ready.”