Conor McGregor Accused Of ‘Ducking’ Title Fight With Charles Oliveira Ahead Of UFC 280

Going to bat for his fellow countryman and fellow former UFC champion, Charles Oliveira, former heavyweight champion, Junior dos Santos has accused Conor McGregor of “ducking” a fight with the Sao Paulo native upon his relinquishing of the lightweight crown.

McGregor, a former two-weight UFC champion, has been vocal in his pursuit of an immediate lightweight title challenge upon his return from a fractured tibia suffered last year, and has called consistently for a fight against Oliveira.

However, despite the Dubliner’s attempts to force his way into a lightweight title shoehorning, the promotion have confirmed Oliveira will return at UFC 280 on October 22. in Abu Dhabi, UAE – featuring in a vacant lightweight title fight, tackling the surging, Islam Makhachev.

Conor McGregor has been accused of avoiding Charles Oliveira

Noting his interest in securing a lucrative future title fight against McGregor, Oliveira insisted he would wait for the 34-year-old Crumlin native to return to the Octagon, as he eyes a Brazil homecoming at a planned event early next year. 
Sharing his theory on the timing of Oliveira’s title fight against Makhachev instead of the vocal Conor McGregor, Santa Catarina favorite, dos Santos claimed the latter was clearly “ducking” a fight with his compatriot.

“Did you see that not long ago he (Charles Oliveira) challenged (Conor) McGregor?” Junior dos Santos said on the Podpah podcast. “And McGregor is kind of ducking. Of course, we know, just ducking. It’s obvious he won’t want to, it’s a bad fight for him.”

“Damn, it’s obvious, and then, they’re wanting to put him against that Makhachev – Islam Makhachev, who’s a monster. It looks like he will accept the fight against Makhachev, hoping that Khabib (Nurmagomedov) will come out of retirement to fight him later.” (Transcribed by the Mirror)