Charles Oliveira is not ignoring Nate Diaz, but he is also not letting the money-fight chatter pull him away from the belt. After Diaz recently said he would “beat the fucking shit out of Charles Oliveira,” the former lightweight champion responded by making it clear that yes, the matchup is big, yes, it would sell, and yes, he is paying attention. But he also made it clear that the title remains the main target.
Nate Diaz says
he’ll beat the SH*T out of Charles Oliveira 😬 pic.twitter.com/W2kKV96w7O
— Spinnin Backfist (@SpinninBackfist) March 31, 2026
Speaking to Canal Encarada, Oliveira said:
“I told [my coach/manager] Diego [Lima] that this is the moment for us to think carefully about what’s going to happen. Would a fight with Nate be good? Of course, definitely. Given everything he’s been saying — he’s a guy who sells a lot, someone who would help us make money, it would be a big fight and a lot of people would want to see it. There’s also Conor [McGregor] talking. So honestly, I’m very sure that the most important thing is understanding the game, understanding what the UFC wants, to see if it’s good for us too, because it has to be good for both sides.”
That is the clearest read on Oliveira’s position. He is not dismissing Diaz. He is not dismissing McGregor either. He is saying those names only matter if the timing works for where he is trying to go at 155. Oliveira has rebuilt his place in the picture with recent wins over Mateusz Gamrot and Max Holloway, and the financial angle around Diaz fits naturally with the kind of matchup calculus he has already discussed when talking about fights that make sense both competitively and financially.
Oliveira still has the lightweight title at the center of everything
Oliveira also explained why he is taking the latest Conor McGregor comeback talk more seriously than before.
He said, “We’ve heard so many times that Conor is coming back and nothing happens. But one of the reasons I believe he might return this time is that Dana usually wouldn’t say anything, and this time he has spoken. So I do believe he could come back to fight at [International] Fight Week.”
That does not mean Oliveira is counting on McGregor. It means he sees Dana White’s public confidence as more meaningful than the usual rumor cycle. That matters because McGregor and Diaz are both floating around the same money-fight lane while Oliveira keeps trying to position himself for the belt, especially while the UFC keeps teasing movement around major return plans and International Fight Week possibilities.
Oliveira also said he would be interested in serving as the backup fighter for the lightweight title fight between Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje, but only if the setup makes sense for him. His concern is that he could go through a full backup camp, make weight, not fight, and then suddenly be asked to turn around for another title camp if the belt becomes vacant.
He put it this way:
“I’m going after the title. I want to become champion again, but I think nobody is naive, everyone is doing the math. The belt will be unified in June. I could be a backup for the fight. But I stay focused on training, make weight, and when I get there, there’s no fight [for me]. I think that if Topuria wins, he moves up a division and the belt becomes vacant. Regardless of whether it becomes vacant or not, I’m next in line. And then imagine the UFC says, July or August, let’s make a fight for you against this or that.” via MMAFighting
That is really the whole story. Diaz is a big fight. McGregor is a big fight. Oliveira knows both names can bring serious money. But he is still talking like a guy who wants the smartest route back to the lightweight title, not just the loudest one.
