Charles Oliveira still likes the sound of a Conor McGregor showdown.
“Do Bronx” and “The Notorious” have gone in completely separate directions in recent years. A champion as recently as last year, Oliveira is on the cusp of recapturing his Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Lightweight crown if he can defeat Islam Makhachev in their rematch at UFC 294 on Oct. 21, 2023. McGregor, on the other hand, has been healing since his leg break suffered against Dustin Poirier in July 2021 (watch highlights). He has most recently appeared as a coach opposite Michael Chandler on The Ultimate Fighter 31 (TUF).
Unfortunately for Chandler, McGregor’s interest in their tentative bout has appeared to wane in recent weeks, leaving the potential bout lost in the shuffle. McGregor still needs to get back into the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) pool before eligible to return. If that time ever comes, Oliveira is still happy to face the Irishman.
“What’s happening is that I’m here — I’m just waiting for him,” Oliveira said on The MMA Hour. “All he needs to do is tell me the place and the time, and I’ll be there.
“I don’t know, I’m here — where is Conor?” he asked. “170, 183 [pounds], doesn’t matter. All he needs to do is stop and do it.”
Oliveira has been about as dominant as they come in his past 13 outings, suffering defeat only once when encountering Makhachev in Oct. 2022. The Brazilian future UFC Hall of Famer rebounded in June 2023, scoring a big first round technical knockout (punches) to earn his potential redemption (watch highlights).