Charles Oliveira explains why he'd pick Conor McGregor fight over UFC title shot: "I'll have to wait anyways"
Charles Oliveira has suggested that he'd rather fight Conor McGregor than compete in a UFC championship matchup after defeating Michael Chandler. 'Do Bronx' also explained his reasoning behind the same.
Oliveira captured the vacant UFC lightweight championship with a second-round TKO victory against Michael Chandler in May 2021 and defended it with a third-round submission win over Dustin Poirier that December.
However, the Brazilian fighter missed weight for a scheduled title defense against Justin Gaethje in May 2022 and was stripped of the belt. Oliveira was ineligible to be crowned champion despite besting Gaethje via first-round submission.
'Do Bronx' was then beaten via second-round submission by Islam Makhachev in Oct. 2022, who captured the vacant title and has since reigned as champion. Presently, Makhachev is sidelined with a hand injury and is expected to defend his title in a rematch against Arman Tsarukyan.
After losing to Islam Makhachev, Charles Oliveira dominantly defeated Beneil Dariush via first-round TKO in June 2023. Oliveira then suffered a razor-thin split decision defeat against Arman Tsarukyan at UFC 300 (April 2024).
Meanwhile, megastar Conor McGregor hasn't competed since suffering a mid-fight leg injury and first-round TKO defeat against Dustin Poirier in their lightweight bout at UFC 264 (July 2021).
The Irishman appeared on TUF (The Ultimate Fighter) Season 31 in a coaching capacity opposite Michael Chandler in 2023. McGregor was to fight Chandler in a welterweight bout at UFC 303 (June 29, 2024) but withdrew due to a toe injury.
UFC CEO Dana White has maintained that McGregor would likely return in early 2025. For his part, 'The Notorious' is adamant about wanting to fight this year.
As for Chandler, he's been on the sidelines since Nov. 2022, pursuing the big-money matchup against the legendary McGregor. Regardless, the UFC recently announced that Chander will fight Charles Oliveira in a rematch, which will co-headline UFC 309 on Nov. 16, 2024.
In a Brazilian-Portuguese interview with Laerte Viana, Charles Oliveira was recently asked if he'd select a title matchup or a fight against McGregor after beating Chandler. Oliveira replied by opining that he'd have to wait for the Makhachev-Tsarukyan rematch to play out anyway.
Asserting that he'd fight McGregor for a lucrative payday rather than wait around for a title shot, Oliveira stated:
"Can you guarantee that if I beat Conor, I'll be next in line? Because anyways the title fight will be between Tsarukyan and Islam, so I'll have to wait anyways. So why not? Make a lot of money with Conor." [*Translation courtesy: @ChampRDS on X]
Watch Oliveira's assessment below:
When Charles Oliveira changed his mind about possible Conor McGregor fight
Back in 2021, former UFC featherweight and lightweight champion Conor McGregor called out then-UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira. Speaking to MMA Fighting that year, Oliveira asserted that if he were previously given the choice to fight McGregor or compete for a UFC championship, he'd choose the latter.
Nevertheless, speaking to MMA Fighting in 2024, Oliveira seemingly changed his mind. Oliveira indicated that even Poirier fought McGregor in their rematch and trilogy fights back-to-back in 2021, primarily for the paydays, and was criticized for it. The 34-year-old believes a fighter could simply bag a life-changing payout against 'The Notorious' and then proceed to a title match.
Watch Oliveira address the topic below: