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Ultimate Fighting Championship
Martial ArtsMixed Martial Arts

UFC: Conor McGregor could fight Charles Oliveira next, says Michael Bisping – ‘people pay to see him, simple as that’

  • UFC commentator feels ‘The Notorious’ could jump queue for a lightweight title shot
  • Champ Oliveira has ‘got to fight McGregor to get those mega paydays’, Bisping adds

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Conor McGregor is recovering from a broken led suffered in July. Photo: @thenotoriousmma/Instagram
SCMP Martial Arts

UFC commentator Michael Bisping believes the next crack at reigning lightweight champion Charles Oliveira could go to former two-division title-holder Conor McGregor.

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The 33-year-old Irishman is riding back-to-back stoppage losses to Dustin Poirier, the second of which left him with a broken leg, but remains the most popular fighter in all of MMA. And after Oliveira (32-8) retained his title with a submission defeat of Poirier at UFC 269 this month, McGregor (22-6) called for a fight with the 32-year-old Brazilian champ.

In Bisping’s eyes, “The Notorious” might just get his wish.

“Conor McGregor is the biggest star in the sport,” Bisping, the former UFC middleweight champion, said during a Q&A on his YouTube channel. “After all the adversity that he’s been through lately, after the leg break the he had, if he can come back and beat Charles Oliveira and become the champion again, what a story that would be.

“The UFC might want to do that as well because people pay to see Conor McGregor. Simple as that. You cannot deny that fact.”

If McGregor is granted a fight with Oliveira, it will not go over well with streaking lightweight contenders Beneil Dariush (21-1-4) and Islam Makhachev (21-1), who will fight on February 26 with a title shot seemingly hanging in the balance.

Charles Oliveira of Brazil celebrates after defeating Dustin Poirier to defend the lightweight title at UFC 269. Photo: Carmen Mandato/Getty Images/AFP
Charles Oliveira of Brazil celebrates after defeating Dustin Poirier to defend the lightweight title at UFC 269. Photo: Carmen Mandato/Getty Images/AFP

Justin Gaethje (23-3), who cemented himself as the No 1-ranked lightweight contender with a decision win over Michael Chandler at UFC 268 in November, has also made it clear that he is not on board with McGregor getting a title shot.

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