The former Lightweight champion sees his next title opportunity being a big pay day with the opponent he prefers.
Charles Oliveira recently let it be known that he wants a big pay day for when he fights for the Lightweight championship next, the Brazilian was stripped of his championship at the weigh-ins for his fight against Justin Gaethje for missing weight by half a pound.
However he didn’t lose to the challenger come fight night, in fact he bounced back from getting dropped to drop Gaethje, get their back and force them to submit in the 1st round by rear-naked choke to become the official #1 contender for the Lightweight championship he never lost.
When speaking to MMA Junkie about Islam Makhachev calling for a crack at the championship, this is what Oliveira had to say about the situation.
“If I must choose, it’d be Conor McGregor, as the guy who is putting the money in my bank account,” Oliveira said, at UFC X. “If I’m going to choose, I’m going to choose Conor McGregor. The story with Conor has always been like that,” Oliveira said. “It was the same thing with Dustin Poirier. He always cuts the line and everyone knows that (happens) when Conor is on. He cuts the line. I think I deserve to choose and I’m choosing Conor because of everything I’ve done to make some money for my family and for everything. If I’m going to choose, I’m choosing Conor.”
Oliveira did allude to a rumor of a January event in Brazil. If that’s true, he wants on it if he has to wait it out for his championship fight.
“People are talking about it so much,” Oliveira said. “I think they might want it to happen. For me, it’s not specifically. The UFC hasn’t told me anything yet. I want to fight by the end of the year, but if it’s at the end of the year, really, I would prefer to fight in January in Brazil, if that event happens.”
Makhachev is on a 10-fight win streak, McGregor is out until December or January of next year, if the UFC does decide to wait it out to see who faces Oliveira for the championship next, it could come down to either McGregor or Makhachev stepping in the octagon to fight for the title.
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