"That's the sole reason I accepted this fight" - Charles Oliveira weighs in on chances of fighting Conor McGregor next year

Charles Oliveira is set to face Islam Makhachev at UFC 280 for the UFC lightweight title. While it's not the Conor McGregor superfight that Oliveira was initially calling for, 'Do Bronx' is confident a bout against McGregor will come together if he emerges from Abu Dhabi victorious.

In a new interview with ESPN's Brett Okamoto, Oliveira admitted his main motivation for accepting the Makhachev fight was so he could fight 'The Notorious' later. He said:

"It would be perfect. We've been asking for this fight in Brazil so hopefully it works out. I really do [believe a fight with McGregor will happen]. That's the sole reason why I accepted this fight [against Makhachev at UFC 280]. I know the more victories the better the chances so this is a step towards that fight."

Asked how he thought Brazil would welcome Conor McGregor, Oliveira replied:

"Well, I'd advise him to take very good care what words he uses, especially when referring to me."

Watch Charles Oliveira discuss a fight with Conor McGregor below:

Conor McGregor is still recovering from a broken leg suffered in his third fight against Dustin Poirier, and still hasn't given a date for his return. He also recently signed on to co-star in a remake of the classic movie Road House alongside Jake Gyllenhaal, which could delay things further.

There's also no guarantee 'The Notorious' plans to return to fighting at lightweight. Back in March, McGregor made several statements regarding a desire to fight for the welterweight title.

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Justin Gaethje claims there's no way Islam Makhachev will dominate Charles Oliveira

Charles Oliveira is finally starting to get the respect he deserves from his fellow UFC fighters. After trash talking him endlessly leading up to their UFC 274 fight, Justin Gaethje now has a completely different opinion on 'Do Bronx.' During a media scrum on UFC 278 weekend, Gaethje said:

“I’m 100 percent confident that Islam will not dominate Charles, and that’s about it ... I don’t see [Makhachev] tiring him out. Even if he takes him down for the first two rounds, I don’t see Charles getting submitted, and I don’t see him being too exhausted to continue to fight the fight that he needs to fight.”

Gaethje added that Oliveira hit him with "perfect" shots that made him feel like his tongue was "on a super powerful battery." Considering the wars Gaethje has been in through his career, it says something when 'The Highlight' admits he's never been hit harder than when he fought 'Do Bronx.'