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Oliveira: Beating McGregor would be 'really good for my legacy'

Christian Petersen / Getty Images Sport / Getty

It's not just about the money.

Charles Oliveira said Tuesday he wants to face Conor McGregor for the vacant UFC lightweight title.

Not only would it be a "profitable" fight, the former champion said, but a name like McGregor would look good on his resume.

"It would be a very good fight for me," Oliveira told ESPN Brazil, according to ESPN's Marc Raimondi. "It would put a lot of money in my pocket, and (at this moment), that's the most important thing. And it would also be really good for my legacy, for me to have in my story. Regardless, if he's coming from defeat or not, he's a guy who's made history, so I think it would be great, but it's not just up to me.

"If it were up to me, this fight would already be happening."

Oliveira is expected to fight for the vacant belt in his next contest, though it's unclear against whom. "Do Bronx" defeated Justin Gaethje in May in what was supposed to be his second lightweight title defense, but Oliveira lost the championship due to missing weight.

Islam Makhachev has one of the strongest cases to be Oliveira's next opponent, with the Khabib Nurmagomedov protege winning his last 10 fights in the Octagon.

McGregor is getting closer to returning after breaking his leg in a July 2021 bout, though it'll seemingly still be several months before the former two-division champion comes back. UFC president Dana White said last week he expects McGregor to fight late this year or in early 2023.

McGregor, the biggest star in the UFC, has lost two in a row and hasn't won a fight at 155 pounds since 2016.

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