Michael Bisping explains why Charles Oliveira is a matchup that might favor Conor McGregor

Michael Bisping is weighing in on why he thinks Charles Oliveira is a good matchup for Conor McGregor.

According to Bisping, he does not believe Conor McGregor deserves a title fight but admits Charles Oliveira could be a favorable matchup.

Charles Oliveira (33-8 MMA) is just coming off a victory over Justin Gaethje (23-4 MMA) at UFC 274 this past Saturday night. While a win is a win, and this indeed was Oliveira’s 11th win in a row, it was overshadowed by the fact that he didn’t make weight prior to the fight and was stripped of his lightweight belt.

Conor McGregor is looking to return to the Octagon this fall, but to date no opponent has been named. McGregor (22-6 MMA) last fought in July of 2021 at UFC 264 where he went down to defeat against Dustin Poirier (28-7 MMA). It was a triology matchup which saw Poirier win by TKO after McGregor injured his leg in Round 1.

In speaking on an episode of the ‘Believe You Me‘ podcast, Michael Bisping, the former UFC middleweight champion, explained that while Conor McGregor’s star status alone may be enough to secure a title bout, he doesn’t believe he has earned one, saying:

“For McGregor, does he deserve a title fight? No, he doesn’t. But he’s the biggest star in the sport and sometimes that just sways in. And I wouldn’t be angry if he got it. Charles would welcome it. That would be a massive fight, [an] absolute blockbuster.”

Bisping continued, believing a McGregor/Oliveira matchup could work out best for ‘The Irishman’ because ‘Do Bronx’ has frequently dropped during recent fights saying:

“I’ve said this before, Charles does get hit. Out of all the matchups that might favor Conor the most, simply because Charles [gets hit]. And everyone knows I’m not kissing McGregor’s ass. I’m far from being a fanboy of McGregor.”

Do you agree with Michael Bisping that a McGregor vs Oliveira fight would be an ‘absolute blockbuster’ and is the one to make? Or who do you believe would be the best opponent to meet McGregor in the cage upon his return?