Charles Oliveira explains why he wants “legacy” fight against Conor McGregor for the vacant title

By Cole Shelton - June 15, 2022

Charles Oliveira wants to fight Conor McGregor for the vacant UFC lightweight title.

Charles Oliveira, Conor McGregor

Oliveira lost his lightweight title on the scale at UFC 274 as he missed weight but ended up submitting Justin Gaethje in the first round leaving the belt to be vacant. Although he is no longer the champ, Dana White has said Oliveira will be one-half of a vacant title fight and he wants to face the Irishman for a few reasons.

“It would be a very good fight for me,” Oliveira said to ESPN of a McGregor fight. “It would put a lot of money in my pocket, and [at this moment] that’s the most important thing. And it would also be really good for my legacy, for me to have in my story. Regardless, if he’s coming from defeat or not, he’s a guy who’s made history, so I think it would be great, but it’s not just up to me. If it were up to me, this fight would already be happening.”

Charles-Oliveira

There’s no question that if Charles Oliveria gets the Conor McGregor fight, it would be a massive payday for him. Even though the Irishman is on a bit of a skid he still remains the biggest draw in the sport and the pay-per-view would sell a ton.

Along with that, Oliveira says he has a family to look after so he wants to get the payday to help raise his daughter.

“I have a daughter to raise,” Oliveira said. “Everyone wants to fight Conor, it’s not just me who wants to. Everyone knows that fighting Conor is very profitable. I’m talking about money. And Conor knows that, that everyone wants to fight him.”

Whether or not the UFC will book the Oliveira-McGregor fight is to be seen, but if it happens it won’t happen until late this year or early next.

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