Charles Oliveira's push for a lightweight title fight with Conor McGregor has been branded "embarrassing" by his rival Islam Makhachev.
The Brazilian is the UFC's 155lb champion in all but name after being stripped for missing weight by half-a-pound for his last defence against Justin Gaethje, which he won by submission. He is set to face long-time contender Makhachev in Abu Dhabi at UFC 280 on October 22, who has been unimpressed with his frequent efforts to face the Irishman.
Oliveira believes that after a gruelling career in the UFC on his way to the gold, he should be able to get himself a big money fight, which McGregor would be due to the pay-per-view percentage he would earn as champion. But Makhachev, who has been snubbed frequently in the title picture believes the Irishman, who is 1-3 since winning the belt in 2016, isn't a legitimate contender.
“Charles is very good, he has a good win streak," Makhachev told ESPN's DC & RC . "He beat a lot of tough opponents, but for me it’s embarrassing when the UFC lightweight champion asks for someone like Nate Diaz or Conor McGregor, who [last] won like five years ago. Nobody remembers when these guys win some fights.
“He tried to call [for] Diaz, McGregor, but he forgets my name and when they ask about me he says he needs money or something like this. But when he fights with Dustin [Poirier] or Justin Gaethje, he doesn’t think about money. Now when he says he has to fight Islam, he either tries to say, ‘I want to fight in Brazil, I want to fight in the end of this year, or I need some money’.”
However, after missing weight and being stripped of the belt, even though promotional boss Dana White still sees him as the champion, Oliveira lost some bargaining power. He could no longer wait for the big money fights, and Makhachev claims that he was told he would lose the opportunity to fight for a vacant title to Michael Chandler, instead.
“This is embarrassing because he said Islam has to fight one more time or something like this," Makhachev continued. "But UFC told him, ‘Hey if you do not take this fight, we’re going to give the chance to Michael Chandler.’ That’s why he took this fight.
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“He’s lost in the UFC seven times. He’s not going to be upset if he loses one more time. People finished him seven times in the UFC and this guy’s champion in my division. I’m very upset because of this.
“Everybody who says Dustin Poirier or Justin Gaethje or other guys - they’re all guys that are old, they have money, they don’t challenge. We have new blood. Me, [Mateusz] Gamrot, Beneil Dariush, these are really tough guys for him.
"Because Dustin Poirier or Justin Gaethje, they’re never grappling, just striking. That’s why this is easy fight for him. But he knows Islam Makhachev is a very hard fight for him. All fighters who he beat, all striking. I’m going to take him down very fast.
"Listen, Tony Ferguson had a little bit of grappling, he couldn’t finish him. Tony Ferguson was a hard fight for him. He fought all [three] rounds because Tony Ferguson knows something about grappling, not too much, but he knows something.”
