UFC star Charles Oliveira joins the growing list of fighters seeking an opportunity to compete on the White House lawn.
The former UFC lightweight champion has his sights set on facing Conor McGregor, the former two-division champion, at the UFC White House card. However, Oliveira must first get past his upcoming bout against Mateusz Gamrot at UFC Rio.
Oliveira was initially scheduled to face Rafael Fiziev, but the fighter withdrew, leaving Gamrot to step in on short notice. Oliveira revealed that while his focus remains on Gamrot, he’s also aiming for a potential showdown with McGregor if the opportunity presents itself.
“When we talk about legacy, that’s going to be gigantic,” Oliveira said of the White House card. “Why not do a big fight there? That would be really good. Everybody wants to fight there, I think. If the UFC needs me, I’ll be ready.”
“I don’t even like to say that,” Oliveira continued. “Everybody knows what would be the fight there—Charles Oliveira and Conor McGregor. That’s the money fight.”
When discussing his reasoning for wanting to clash with McGregor, Oliveira didn’t hold back.
“Financial [reason]. I just said I’m the most truthful one here. My history wasn’t manufactured, my history is the way it is. I won’t change my way of speaking. Why the desire to fight Conor? Finances. How much money you think that would generate? How much money would that bring to everyone’s pockets? It’s a lot of money. We’re talking about a lot of money. So why? That’s the truth.”
“It’s not because he beat this guy or that guy or has done this or that. He’s never said a bad thing about me. Quite the opposite, I’m always saying good things about him. He’s made history inside the cage, beat great names. He had his way of talking—it’s not the way I talk or the way I like to promote—but it’s his way of promoting. It’s made him a lot of money and has done a lot for our sport. But why do I want the fight? Because it would give me a lot of money, that’s the truth. I have nothing against him.”
At 35, Oliveira is putting his name forward for a fight against McGregor, a global star who hasn’t competed in over four years. McGregor is currently serving an 18-month suspension after missing three random drug tests, but is expected to be cleared to return to action in March.
