Charles Oliveira claims Conor McGregor declined original UFC 329 offer to pursue ‘easier path’

BMF titleholder Charles Oliveira says he was the originally planned opponent for Conor McGregor’s comeback at UFC 329 next month.

Former two-division UFC champion Conor McGregor will return at UFC 329 in just a few weeks against former BMF champion Max Holloway. UFC 329 will mark McGregor’s first walk to the Octagon since UFC 264, when he injured his leg against Dustin Poirier in their trilogy bout.

Then-UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira sat cageside to await the McGregor vs. Poirier 3 winner for his first lightweight title defense. He went on to submit Poirier just five months later at UFC 269.

After winning the BMF title at UFC 326 over Holloway, Oliveira was proposed as a potential option to fight McGregor in the latter’s comeback fight. But McGregor vs. Holloway 2 ended up being booked for the upcoming International Fight Week event, with Oliveira remaining on the sidelines.

According to Oliveira, McGregor shut down fighting him after watching his performance at UFC 326 earlier this year.

Charles Oliveira: Conor McGregor picked Max Holloway to take ‘easier path’

In a recent interview with MMA Fighting, Oliveira accused McGregor of turning down an initial proposition to fight the BMF champ at UFC 329.

“You and everyone else know that fight was supposed to be mine, but he chose Max because he thinks he can beat Max. The truth is, he ran from me,” Oliveira said of McGregor.

“It was never officially offered [to me], but everyone knew that whoever won between Max and I would fight him. In reality, he picked Max because he thought it was the easier path.”

Oliveira went on to admit that McGregor has a legitimate shot at knocking out Holloway after five years away from the Octagon.

“It’s a complicated fight because he hasn’t been in the cage for a long time,” Oliveira said.

“How many years has he been out now? It’s been a long time, five years without fighting. But he’s Conor. If you make a mistake and he lands, he will knock you out.”

McGregor is a modest underdog against Holloway as he looks to secure his first UFC win in more than six years. Meanwhile, Oliveira continues to wait in the wings, as his next opponent could be the UFC 329 victor.

What is your prediction for Conor McGregor vs. Max Holloway 2? Let us know in the comments!