Charles Oliveira recently shared that he is done angling for a fight against Conor McGregor, claiming that the former double champ is afraid to face him. UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier weighed in, noting that in order to receive the opportunity for a money fight against the UFC’s biggest star, Oliveira must get personal.
Speaking on his podcast, 3 Rounds with Daniel Cormier, the former double champ stated:
“I really believe that for Charles Oliveira now, not holding that belt – that belt was the one thing that made him valuable to Conor because Conor thought, ‘well, this is a guy that strikes, this is a guy that can be hurt, this is a guy that holds the championship so I want to fight that dude’, but when you talk about star power and risk management, you ain’t looking to fight ‘Do Bronx’ if it ain’t for something so grand like a championship.”
Cormier later added:
“If he really does want an opportunity, I think Oliveira needs to talk more about McGregor and be more insulting about McGregor and talk about all the issues that McGregor has. From the issue with the bus, from the issue to the fight with the man in the pub to the issue that he’s going through now… ‘Do Bronx’, get personal, get nasty if you want to cash that check.”
While Oliveira is no longer the lightweight champion, he is currently the No.1-ranked fighter in the division. McGregor is no longer ranked as he has not fought since breaking his leg, however, defeating ‘Do Bronx’ would immediately put him in title contention.
Watch Daniel Cormier discuss how Charles Oliveira can get Conor McGregor to take the fight below (starting at the 7:26 mark):
Charles Oliveira accuses Conor McGregor of handpicking his fights
While Charles Oliveira previously angled for a fight with Conor McGregor, he recently hinted that he believes the former double champ is afraid to face him. During a Q&A at UFC 283, the No.1-ranked lightweight stated:
“McGregor chickened out a long time ago… He handpicks his fights. I think he looks at the guy and thinks, ‘I can beat this one’ and then he signs the contract. He’s right not to fight me because he knows what will happen.”
While Oliveira has called out McGregor on several occasions, including after his UFC 274 victory over Justin Gaethje, he appears to be moving on from the possibility of a big money fight.
Check out Charles Oliveira’s call out of Conor McGregor below: