Charles Oliveira has no preference as to who he fights next.
Life has changed dramatically for the new UFC lightweight champion ever since he TKO’d Michael Chandler in the second round of their UFC 262 matchup earlier this month.
His next matchup is bound to be even bigger as although not official, it his highly likely that the winner of the Dustin Poirier vs. Conor McGregor trilogy taking place July 10 at UFC 264 will be his next opponent.
“I think so. There’s not much they can do [other than that], there’s nowhere to go,” Oliveira told MMA Fighting. “I think that’s the fight to make, so I’ll wait and see what happens. I’m enjoying the moment, but I won’t stop training.”
As for who he wants to win? It doesn’t matter for “Do Bronx” as he expects a great fight with the eventual winner.
“Man, it’s going to be a great fight,” Oliveira said. “Honestly, to me, it doesn’t matter. Whoever wins, I know it’s going to be a great fight. It makes no difference to me. Let’s wait. Like I said, the world is a Ferris wheel. Let’s see them fight and see who wins.”
Oliveira Acknowledges McGregor Is The Bigger Fight
Of course, if McGregor ends up winning, that not only means more eyeballs on Oliveira should he face the Irishman, but also a much bigger payday.
While Oliveira acknowledges this, the Brazilian has never been one who cared about money too much.
“Yes, absolutely. Everybody knows it. Anyone that fights Conor [gets] more money in the end, but I’ve never fought in the UFC thinking about money,” Oliveira explained. “I’ve always thought about fighting and making things happen and I won’t change my head now. To me, whoever comes [to fight me], great.
“If Conor comes, everybody knows it’s going to be a great fight and a lot of money coming in. If Dustin comes, it’s also a great fight and good money coming in — not as much money, but also good money. It makes no difference to me.”
As for the stylistic matchup, Oliveira has no preference either. His goal remains to make history no matter who he faces.
“I don’t because they are both big names, they are both strikers,” Oliveira added when asked if he preferred either stylistically. “I have to be careful and work on my stand-up. They are both good fighters and we’ll fight to make history.
“We know Conor sells way more, Conor brings in more business and all that glamour, but, like I said, I’ve never fought for money. I won’t change my humbleness and respect now.”
One thing is for sure — both are definitely great fights but that’s usually always the case in the stacked lightweight division.
