Michael Bisping has picked one UFC lightweight opponent Conor McGregor will stand a chance of beating – and it’s bound to cause debate.
The news comes as speculation around The Notorious’s return has mounted. McGregor was spotted at a recent Bellator event and spoke to the press about his potential return to the octagon. He also took to his social media to hint that he would soon make his comeback.
With many intrigued about who McGregor will face upon his return, Bisping discussed some possible opponents on Joe Rogan’s podcast.
Read: Michael Bisping says the McGregor of old ‘doesn’t exist anymore.’
Bisping has previously stated that he believes McGregor doesn’t deserve a title shot upon his return. However, it appears the Manchester-based former fighter may have changed his opinion.
What did Michael Bisping say about Charles Oliveira and Conor McGregor
On Joe Rogan’s podcast, Bisping went through the current top five in the lightweight division when discussing McGregor’s potential next opponent.
Both Bisping and Rogan paid McGregor respects for his ability, despite the common consensus that he is no longer the fighter he once was.
The pair agreed that he was no longer in his prime. Bisping suggested that he doesn’t have the same motivation anymore.
The former middleweight made it clear that Oliveira is the clear next opponent for McGregor. If you want the Irishman to win, that is.
“If there’s a person that you’d put him against, in the top five, to beat, it would be Charles Oliveira. Charles is hittable, and Conor can still f****** hit.”
Both Rogan and Bisping agree that Oliveira has survived an onslaught from Dustin Poirier and Michael Chandler before beating the duo. However, they seemed to believe that McGregor hits differently from the other two.
Bisping agreed with Rogan that other potential opponents like Justin Gaethje, Michael Chandler and Islam Makhachev would all be difficult matchups for McGregor because of their strong wrestling abilities.
What has been Charles Oliveira’s best fight?
In terms of magnitude, Charles Oliveira’s best fight was undoubtedly his most recent.
The Brazilian made his first title defence on 11 December 2021 against the betting favourite Dustin Poirier. While many saw Poirier as the likeliest winner, including himself, Oliveira won convincingly.
The first round saw a lot of action on the feet as Poirier connected a number of times with the champ. The American even knocked him down towards the end of the first round.
The second round, however, couldn’t have gone more differently as Oliveira took Poirier down and controlled him on the ground.
Oliveira clinched within the first 20 seconds in the next round and instantly grabbed his opponent’s back. The Brazilian then went on to get the submission win and prove why he deserves the belt.