"Conor was dead on" - Fans react to Charles Oliveira saying Conor McGregor "sole reason" for accepting Islam Makhachev fight

Charles Oliveira recently stated that a victory over Islam Makhachev will help set up a dream fight against the returning Conor McGregor, potentially in his home country of Brazil.

In an interview with ESPN MMA, the former lightweight champion added that the sole reason for booking the fight at UFC 280 in October was to improve his chances of facing 'The Notorious' early next year:

"I really do [think I fight Conor McGregor next year]. That's the sole reason I accepted this fight. I know the more victories, the better."

Watch the interview below:

Fans took to the comments section of The Mac Life's Instagram post, which carried excerpts from the interview, to react to the possible match-up at lightweight. Some reacted by asking the Brazilian to stay focused on the title fight in two months' time:

"ISLAM CHARLES FOCUS ON ISLAM"

One fan agreed with the Irishman's statements of the past, saying that belts aren't the reason that fighters in the UFC want a fight with him. The fan's comment read:

"Conor was dead on when he said he's worth more than belts. The champ literally racks up wins to get closer to fighting him."

Another fan hit out at fans who said that Charles Oliveira didn't deserve a money fight with McGregor after his impressive history in the division:

"Y’all act like he don’t deserve a money fight, look at his history 🤦🏾‍♂️"

Fans reacted to Oliveira's comments ahead of his fight with Makhachev (via The Mac Life's Instagram)

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Anthony Smith believes Charles Oliveira looking for hefty paycheck with Conor McGregor fight

Anthony Smith believes that Oliveira is looking to bank a huge sum from a fight with Conor McGregor at this stage of his career. Speaking on the Believe You Me podcast with Michael Bisping earlier this month, Smith gave his take on why the Brazilian is looking to fight McGregor soon:

"I don't think for a second that Charles Oliveira is afraid of Islam. All those names [McGregor] got big juicy godd**n paychecks connected to them. Especially because the UFC is giving [Oliveira] his pay-per-view points. So, even though he currently doesn't hold the title, they gave him his pay-per-view points for his last fight and leading into this fight as champion."

Watch Smith talk about Charles Oliveira:

While many have questioned the Brazilian's motives of late, the fight against Makhachev will be a tough one if he wants to reclaim the title after relinquishing it due to a weight miss at UFC 274.

A win against a dangerous contender like Makhachev will further establish Oliveira's legacy as one of the greatest lightweight fighters in UFC history. He could also move a step closer to facing McGregor in what will be one of the biggest fights in the history of the sport.