'It can't happen now, Conor was beaten up' - Charles Oliveira speaks out against a McGregor vs. Poirier trilogy title fight
Charles Oliveira thinks that Conor McGregor versus Dustin Poirier III will eventually happen, but it should not be the next title fight for the UFC lightweight championship.
Coming from a dominant performance against Tony Ferguson - his eighth consecutive victory - Charles Oliveira (30-8-1) is pitching to the UFC that he should be the one fighting against Poirier for the division's belt next.
In an interview with ESPN's Ariel Helwani, No. 3 lightweight contender Charles Oliveira gave his opinion on McGregor fighting Poirier for the third time and what he believes would be fair to occur in the 155 lb weight class.
"Look, this fight will definitely happen, but not right now. [It will happen] further ahead. Conor versus Dustin is a fight that sells a lot, but it should not take place at the moment," Charles Oliveira said. "Conor was beaten up, knocked out in the second round - it was not a close fight. So, most certainly, this fight will happen again later, but not now."
Asked if he thinks that the UFC could schedule McGregor for the title fight because of the Irishman's prestige with the fans and the promotion, Charles Oliveira stated that he believes that people would contest the decision:
"This fight will not take place. I know that [Conor] is a guy that sells a lot. I know that he is a guy who the UFC likes and idolizes. But he is coming from a loss, knocked out like that. How are you going to put someone like that to fight for the title?" questioned Charles Oliveira. "We are talking about a sport. And it is a sport that many people care about."
When is Charles Oliveira ready to fight?
In a chat with ESPN's Ariel Helwani, Charles Oliveira revealed that he wants to fight as soon as possible. Asked about when he would be ready for his next bout, the Brazilian did not hesitate:
"Today, tomorrow, now!" claimed Charles Oliveira.
With the UFC since 2010, Charles Oliveira's last defeat was against Paul Felder at UFC 218. Since then, he has packed eight straight wins - the biggest streak of his career. Charles Oliveira thinks that is due to him being more concentrated than before.
"I think it depends on the moment. My daughter was born, I focused much more. Today I have a lot of support. I have a team that has the same goal as me - they want me to be a champion. I am more focused. We are training hard. A lot of things are happening," said Charles Oliveira.