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

#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.