Conor McGregor has given his two cents on who will win the UFC 280 headliner. The former lightweight champion will be an interested spectator when Charles Oliveira and Islam Makhachev face off in Abu Dhabi this month for the vacant belt which he once held.
McGregor was asked on Twitter who he fought would win and made it very clear that he believes Oliveira will beat Makhachev ‘easily’:
https://twitter.com/TheNotoriousMMA/status/1577435041747329025?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1577435041747329025%7Ctwgr%5Eb073d7e84609f5226b4301dabad1905eec21ab8a%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bjpenn.com%2Fmma-news%2Fufc%2Fconor-mcgregor-confirms-welterweight-is-definitely-next-shares-prediction-for-oliveira-vs-makhachev%2F
Backing the underdog
Makhachev comes into the contest one the back of a ten fight winning streak and is the favourite. But McGregor is backing the underdog and must be well aware that the Russian will be cornered by his arch nemesis Khabib Nurmagomedov.
McGregor is constantly teasing the possibility of a comeback and seems to be paying close attention to the lightweight division that he once ruled. He was recently asked about the possibility of facing Oliveira, who only lost the belt on the scales, and it seems clear the Irishman has been giving it plenty of thought.
Oliveira has put together an impressive run of 11 wins and holds the record for most submissions in UFC history. But McGregor pointed out that he has stopped every single Brazilian he has ever faced:
https://twitter.com/TheNotoriousMMA/status/1577436986838614016
Bulking up
But while McGregor seems to have an eye on the lightweight title he appears to have been bulking up. In a recent Twitter post the former UFC featherweight and lightweight champion showed off his muscular physique.
McGregor has been openly discussing the prospect of competing at welterweight. It is a division he has fought in three times, winning two of those bouts.
McGregor’s most recent win was at welterweight, a 40-second knockout against the now-retired Donald Cerrone at UFC 246 in 2020. It seems a matter of when, not if, he announces his return to the octagon.
In the meantime he is happy to hand out tips on Twitter. The former UFC featherweight and lightweight champion is backing Oliveira to beat the odds and regain his title at the expense of Islam Makhachev this month.
