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UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira has revealed that he does not believe we can rule out Conor McGregor's chances of having staged a comeback in the main event of UFC 264.
Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier's trilogy fight was cut short after McGregor suffered a broken tibia at the end of round one. Prior to the break, Poirier had been running away with the round. He utilized heavy ground and pound to get two of the judges to score it 10-8 in his favor.
But Charles Oliveira has stated that just because Poirier had the better of McGregor in round one does not mean the rest of the fight would have continued in that fashion. In a recent interview with Super Lutas, the 155lb champ had the following to say:
"We can never say that Dustin would win in the second round, nothing was decided. It's unpredictable. But Dustin is to be congratulated. It shows how much he is evolving, he has a good mind and deserves all the respect in the world for the person he is.”
Charles Oliveira
Charles Oliveira's last fight is a perfect example of why MMA is entirely unpredictable. Oliveira competed against Michael Chandler in a fight that saw both men in incredible trouble at different stages of the fight. However, 'do Bronx' overcame the adversity to knock Chandler out in the second round, claiming the lightweight belt in the process.
Oliveira also discussed one of the primary reasons that fans and media are following the narrative that McGregor would have lost the fight even if he hadn't been injured. He stated that it is down to McGregor's brash way of promoting his fights:
“I heard a lot of people saying that he deserved to lose, the way he sells the fight, but I don't agree," states Charles Oliveira. "I get upset about it. People love the way the guy sells, but when he loses, he gets criticized. Dustin – once again – came strong, up and making it happen. He had a good first round, had a hard ground and pound against Conor, but we're talking about MMA."
