5 reasons why fighting Conor McGregor at welterweight will be a mistake for Charles Oliveira

Charles Oliveira is currently ranked no. 1 at lightweight

Charles Oliveira is the top fighter in the lightweight division despite not currently holding the belt. He has not been shy about calling for a bout with MMA's biggest star, Conor McGregor. With McGregor keen to return to the sport at welterweight, there has been speculation recently that the pair could fight at 170 lbs.

Charles Oliveira willing to move up in weight to secure Conor McGregor fight
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This would be a surprising development given Oliveira has not competed in the welterweight division since joining the UFC. He also currently has a guaranteed spot in an upcoming lightweight title fight that he would likely risk losing if he were to take this fight.

While there are risks, fighting Conor McGregor is one of the biggest rewards available in the sport of MMA. The fight would be incredibly lucrative for Oliveira and, were he to win, it could set him up for many more huge paydays moving forward. A loss, however, could be devastating.

Here are five reasons why fighting Conor McGregor at welterweight would be a mistake for Charles Oliveira:

#5. The Khabib Factor

Khabib Nurmagomedov was recently inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame

Khabib Nurmagomedov retired from MMA in early 2021, relinquishing the UFC lightweight title and transitioning into a coaching role. However, it is reported that he still trains regularly and there are some members of the MMA media who feel he could one day be tempted out of retirement.

Charles Oliveira wants to silence Khabib in the cage 🤐

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Charles Oliveira was the man to claim the lightweight belt that 'The Eagle' vacated and he has dominated the division ever since. Many feel that his reign has been as dominant as Khabib's and if he were to beat Nurmagomedov's protégé, Islam Makhachev, it would be tough to deny that.

If Oliveira does have his sights on one day securing a big money fight with Khabib, he would be much better served continuing to fight at lightweight. He may be just one win over Makhachev away from securing that and could always fight McGregor later.

Fighting 'The Notorious' at 170 would reduce Oliveira's chances of one day fighting 'The Eagle'.