5 reasons why Conor McGregor is a bad matchup for Charles Oliveira

While Conor McGregor is yet to be officially scheduled for a return bout as he recovers from the devastating leg break suffered at UFC 264, Charles Oliveira has expressed his interest in facing the Irishman as opposed to rising contenders Islam Makhachev and Beneil Dariush.

Oliveira is an exciting fighter with a well-rounded skillset. While it aided him against the likes of Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje, the same cannot be said with certainty were he to face McGregor in his next bout.

Not only is Charles Oliveira hittable, but his approach to striking bears certain vulnerabilities to McGregor's own fighting style. This list will tackle that reason and others that suggest McGregor might be a tougher matchup for Oliveira than initially thought.

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#5. Charles Oliveira's defensive striking

Charles Oliveria's striking has improved drastically in recent years. While his offense is as dangerous as ever, his defensive striking remains a concerning chink in his armor.

While most fighters make use of their reach, and so does Oliveira himself, he also gives special attention to his height.

Charles Oliveira fights very tall, standing upright as he peppers his opponents with front kicks. Unfortunately, fighting as tall as he does not only exposes his head to overhands, but Oliveira throws straight shots down the middle, which McGregor specializes in slipping and countering.

Furthermore, Charles Oliveira himself does not move his head and fights with an exposed chin, partially due to his upright stance, but largely due to his inability to tuck his chin in.

#4. Conor McGregor's distance management

Much of Charles Oliveira's striking is designed to enter the clinch. Specifically, 'Do Bronx' seeks a double collar-tie, which he uses to tug his opponent's head down into knees and uppercuts. Though as with every clinch fighter, Oliveira must first safely close the distance between himself and his opponents.

One of Charles Oliveira's ways of doing so is by targeting the opponent's midsection with front kicks, forcing them to stand upright, effectively making it easier for him to secure a double collar-tie. Unfortunately, McGregor is a skilled distance manager who uses his wide stance to stand at what appears to be just outside his opponent's reach.

He then throws pawing, non-committal jabs designed to fall short of landing, tricking his foes into thinking he's not close enough to hit them or be hit. Once he succeeds in doing so, McGregor leans far forward with his shoulders above his lead knee, extending his reach enough to land his straight left, stunning opponents who are convinced he is out of range.

This often disrupts his opponent's range. That could destabilize Oliveira as he won't know how far or close McGregor is in order to determine when and how to enter the clinch without getting hit as he comes in with an upright stance.

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#3. Conor McGregor's defensive wrestling

Charles Oliveira's easiest path to victory against McGregor lies on the ground. But while McGregor is better known for his striking, his takedown defense is not as poor as many claim it is.

In fact, he seems to struggle the most with chain wrestling as opposed to standard takedown shots. When the Irishman fought Khabib Nurmagomedov, the lightweight division's best takedown artist, it was Khabib's chain wrestling that he struggled to stop.

In the first round, when Khabib shot in for a low single-leg takedown, McGregor immediately exploded his hips back to stuff the shot and snap his foe down. While Khabib managed to secure the Irishman's ankle, McGregor wisely overhooked Khabib's lower back to control his posture, forcing Khabib to briefly abandon the single-leg takedown to turn in at an angle.

In response, McGregor shoved Khabib's head low, hoping to hop out of his foe's grip. Khabib, in turn, then sought the single-leg once again, to which McGregor responded by pushing off his rear leg to again defend the takedown and briefly end up on top of Khabib himself.

While Khabib ultimately secured a takedown via chain wrestling, McGregor's defensive wrestling and defensive grappling were impressive. He managed to defend several of his foe's takedown attempts, while even landing in an advantageous position for a few seconds.

Doing this against a far superior wrestler like Khabib likely means Oliveira will not get the fight to the ground as easily as many expect, least of all because Oliveira is not the greatest takedown artist in the division.

#2. Conor McGregor's timing

A common development in Oliveira's recent bouts involves his opponents becoming overzealous the moment they hurt him with a strong punch. Michael Chandler, for instance, eagerly pursued a TKO/KO upon badly hurting him.

However, in doing so, he merely exhausted himself as Oliveira recovered quickly. It seems that while Oliveira's chin is not made of granite, his ability to weather storms is elite.

McGregor, however, is a far more patient striker who picks his shots and times his punches with pinpoint precision. He would not recklessly pursue the finish, blowing through his cardio and allowing Oliveira to then overwhelm him. He's a more calculated finisher than the Brazilian's recent opponents.

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#1. Conor McGregor's doubters will motivate him

Talk of a motivated McGregor rebounding after every loss has become cliché at this point. However, McGregor's mettle as a fighter is being questioned now more than ever. Charles Oliveira himself claimed he was capable of knocking him out and submitting Nate Diaz on the same night.

A potential matchup with Charles Oliveira would likely be McGregor's last chance at a UFC title, so he would be as eager as ever to prove he still belongs among the sport's elite.

Thus, in a potential bout, Oliveira can expect a well-prepared McGregor who will not be underestimating him, as many others have done.