5 possible matchups for Charles Oliveira after UFC 269
Charles Oliveira’s dream run in the UFC continued with his successful title defense against Dustin Poirier at UFC 269.
Oliveira’s meteoric rise from the favelas of Brazil to the top of the UFC lightweight division has been inspirational to say the least. He fell to 10-8 in the UFC following his loss to Paul Felder in 2017, before turning things around. 'Do Bronx' hasn’t looked back since.
Known for his durability and grappling, Oliveira came into the fight riding a nine-fight winning streak and defeated Poirier with finesse. After dominating ‘The Diamond’ on the ground in the second round, Oliveira secured a rear-naked choke in the third round to retain his lightweight title.
Having run through the likes of Tony Ferguson, Michael Chandler and Dustin Poirier, fans are already wondering who he’ll fight next.
Here are five possible matchups for ‘Do Bronx’ post UFC 269.
#5. Charles Oliveira vs. Conor McGregor
Conor McGregor is the pay-per-view king of the UFC. Win or lose, a fight with 'The Notorious' is always a good opportunity for a fighter to earn a huge payday.
Despite being in the UFC for 11 years, Charles Oliveira has never crossed paths with the UFC's first champ-champ. Having firmly cemented his place as the best at 155lbs, Oliveira would be part of the biggest event of his career if he faces McGregor next.
Given McGregor's latest title shot at UFC 229 amassed 2.4 million pay-per-view buys - the highest for the UFC to date - the promotion could add another moneymaker to its name with a Conor McGregor vs. Charles Oliveira fight.
Following Charles Oliveira’s win over Dustin Poirier, McGregor took to Twitter to send a message to the UFC, saying that he is ready to take on the UFC lightweight champion.
So what date am I fighting Oliveira?
🇮🇪 vs 🇧🇷 2
Oliveira responded to McGregor's call out stating that he is 'ready' to fight him 'this weekend'.
What do you think about this weekend?
I'm ready, I'm still in town, and there's an up&coming event. Let's go baby twitter.com/TheNotoriousMM… https://t.co/yh51OmPLX4
The Irishman has had a tumultuous ride in the octagon since returning to the UFC in 2018. With one win and three losses, McGregor is aching to get back to winning ways and stomp his authority in the division.
Currently nursing a leg injury that he sustained at UFC 264 against Dustin Poirier, McGregor’s not likely to get a title shot right upon returning to the UFC. However, considering that he's arguably the face of the UFC, it wouldn’t be surprising if Dana White gives 'The Notorious' the chance at gold.