Conor McGregor fighting Charles Oliveira? Wild suggestion by Sean O'Malley welcomed in a 'good vs. evil' theme by MMA fans

Conor McGregor hasn't set foot inside the octagon since suffering a brutal loss to Dustin Poirier back in 2021. He has spent most of his time recovering from a crippling leg injury sustained during his third bout with 'The Diamond.' In January, the UFC announced that 'The Notorious' would return against Michael Chandler.

The pair filmed the 31st season of The Ultimate Fighter but McGregor is yet to reenter the USADA drug-testing pool for the mandatory six-month stretch before he can be sanctioned to fight. This has led to a wave of speculation, including from Sean O'Malley, who fueled the rumors of a Conor McGregor-Charles Oliveira bout.

On a recent episode of The Bro'Malley Show, 'Suga' expressed his admiration for Conor McGregor as his favorite-ever MMA figure, while similarly expressing his admiration for Charles Oliveira as his favorite-ever fighter in terms of style. Additionally, he also spoke about a rumored matchup between the pair.

"I was thinking Charles-Islam 2, I would be interested in that fight, even though Islam knocked him out and then finished him. I would still be interested in that fight, I would love to watch Charles versus Islam 2. But, it's sounding like, and I read it, and it must be true, I saw it on the internet, Charles Oliveira versus Conor McGregor potentially instead of Conor versus Michael Chandler. I'm all for it."

If the rumors are at all true, it will be a bitter pill for Michael Chandler to swallow. Whether from his promo work or exciting fighting style in the cage, 'Iron' has done everything in his power to secure a matchup with McGregor. If it slips from his grasp after filming TUF 31, he's likely to feel hard done by.

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Will Conor McGregor fight this year?

Back in January, the UFC revealed that Conor McGregor's long-awaited return from injury would take place against Michael Chandler in a bout later this year. On paper, the matchup is thrilling given the breadth of knockout power between the pair. This was compounded by the announcement of TUF 31.

The two men would serve as coaches on the show, and they have indeed. Unfortunately, a dark cloud loomed over the Irishman's octagon return. In order to be sanctioned for a fight, he needed to reenter the USADA testing pool and stay there for a mandatory period of six months before being cleared.

However, 'The Notorious' pursued an exemption similar to the one the UFC drew for Brock Lesnar in the past. This seems to have failed and the time has now passed for McGregor to reenter the USADA testing pool and still be able to fight this year.