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Diego Lima, the coach of former UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira, revealed that his star pupil has Conor McGregor and Islam Makhachev in his sights.
After being stripped of the belt due to a botched weight cut, Oliveira earned the opportunity to fight for the vacant title by making quick work of Justin Gaethje in the main event of UFC 274.
Watch Charles Oliveira's submission win:
During an interview with Sherdog, Lima was asked about the future of 'Do Bronx' in the division. If Oliveira could have his way, according to Lima, his choice would be a showdown against McGregor in Brazil:
"Charles did three belt disputes in 12 months, he is coming from an 11-fight win streak, has beaten all the submission records in UFC history. If UFC is planning to make an event in Sao Paulo or Rio [in] December, it would make all sense to have him here leading this card. I can guarantee if they make Charles and [Conor McGregor] in Sao Paulo, UFC fans will see the most exciting and noisy crowd in UFC history."
However, Lima acknowledged that McGregor could go a different route in his comeback fight. With that being the case, the Brazilian coach revealed that Oliveira has Makhachev as his "Plan B." Lima continued:
"Both McGregor or Makhachev would make sense. Our plan A would be Conor in Brazil in December; Plan B, New York [in] November; and the last choice would be Abu Dhabi [in] October."
Lima pointed out that the ex-champ isn't too keen on fighting in Abu Dhabi, which he described as "almost [Makhachev's] hometown."
Charles Oliveira explains why he wants Conor McGregor
Charles Oliveira did not mince words when asked why fighting Conor McGregor was a high priority for him.
During an interview with ESPN Brazil, Oliveira admitted that, for him, fighting a McGregor fight is the most lucrative option. 'Do Bronx' admitted:
"It would be a very good fight for me. [Fighting Conor McGregor] 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."
Check out Charles Oliveira's comments:
In a previous interview, Oliveira's coach, Lima, also claimed that McGregor is seen as a super villain figure in his home country. The Irishman, of course, owns notable wins over Brazilian fan favorites Jose Aldo and Diego Brandao.
Considering the Irishman's size and walk-around weight at the moment, it seems unlikely McGregor will be willing to make the cut to 155lbs once again. With the excitement surrounding his return to the octagon building, fans will still have to wait to see who 'The Notorious' will face in his highly anticipated comeback fight.
