Recently-minted UFC lightweight champion, Charles Oliveira will likely have sights firmly fixed on next weekend’s affairs at UFC 264 — with a potential lightweight title-eliminator rubber match between Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor taking headlining honours. With the victor expected to challenge the Brazilian for lightweight gold before the close of the year — Oliveira has predicted he’d stop either of them via strikes, despite his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu prowess.
Himself taking main event status at UFC 262 in May at the Toyota Centre in Houston, Texas — the Sao Paulo submission specialist managed to survive some early adversity against the #4 ranked, Michael Chandler to lift the vacant lightweight title via a early second round knockout.
With eight wins on the trot, the promotion’s most prolific submission threat is likely set to attempt his first defence of the 155lbs throne against the victor of Poirier vs. McGregor III — and earlier this year, following his assumption to the throne, welcomed any combination of the two.
I don’t (have a preference) because they (Poirier and McGregor) are both big names, they are both strikers,” Oliveira said. “I have to be careful and work on my standup. They are both good fighters and we’ll fight to make history. We know Conor (McGregor) sells way more (PPVs), Conor brings in more business and all that glamour, but, like I said, I’ve never fought for money. I won’t change my humbleness and respect now.“
Speaking with AgFight ahead of the trilogy pairing of Poirier and McGregor next weekend at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada — Oliveira maintains he’s supremely confident of overcoming the threat that Poirier and McGregor bring to a potential showdown, and claimed, regardless of who could potentially stand opposite him between the two — he’d stop them both via strikes.
“I never choose opponents,” Oliveira said. “I am always ready to fight. They are two big names in the sport, the lightweights. Everyone knows that a fight with Conor (McGregor) has a lot of money and one with Dustin (Poirier), not so much, but they are two great opponents. I don’t choose my fights. I wil be ready. I really believe in my Jiu-Jitsu against either of them, but something tells me that if i fought them, I would knock them both out. I’m feeling fine.“