Charles Oliveira was convinced that his BMF title victory over Max Holloway at UFC 326 in March was set to land him a lucrative matchup against Conor McGregor.
Oliveira dominated Holloway over five full rounds to claim the BMF strap, but he remains on the sidelines while “Blessed” is the one set to welcome McGregor back to the Octagon at UFC 329 next month.
"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 told MMA Fighting. "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."
McGregor hasn’t fought since suffering a catastrophic leg injury in his bout with Dustin Poirier five years ago. Oliveira thinks that the Irishman’s prolonged absence will cost him dearly upon his return.
"The Irishman hasn't fought in 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."
Oliveira agrees that McGregor’s signature power left hand will give him a fighting chance early in the bout, but the Brazilian believes that the longer the fight goes on, the more confident Holloway will become.
"I think the first and second rounds favor (McGregor) a lot," Oliveira said. "After that, things swing much more in Max's favor. Conor has a great chance of getting the knockout early if he can impose his game. But once you get past those rounds, Max definitely has a much better chance of winning."
