Conor McGregor and Charles Oliveira have been exchanging words in the media, keeping an unexpected lightweight storyline alive as the Irishman edges closer to a UFC comeback.
McGregor remains one of the sport’s biggest names, while ‘Do Bronx’ has rebuilt momentum by winning his last two fights and pushing towards another title shot. That contrast has made talk of a future meeting hard to ignore, even if it appears unlikely to happen this year.
Oliveira, though, is not softening his public stance. The Brazilian has already made clear he would welcome big names, and his latest remark about McGregor came through a surprising comparison involving a familiar opponent.
Charles Oliveira says 9-4 UFC star would beat Conor McGregor
Speaking on Joyagear’s Instagram, Oliveira was asked about a hypothetical fight between Mateusz Gamrot and McGregor, and he backed the Polish lightweight to win.
“Gamrot would win that one, right? He’d only wrestle,” the former champion bluntly stated.
It is a striking claim because McGregor is a former UFC featherweight and lightweight champion. Gamrot, by contrast, has never fought for a UFC belt since joining the promotion and owns a 9-4 record inside the Octagon.
Gamrot’s unbeaten professional run also ended in his promotional debut, when Guram Kutateladze beat him by split decision in October 2020. He has since built a reputation as a relentless wrestler.
There is another layer to it. ‘Do Bronx’ submitted Gamrot with a rear naked choke in the second round of their October 2025 fight in Rio de Janeiro.
That makes the message hard to miss. If Oliveira believes a fighter he has already beaten would handle McGregor through wrestling, then he is effectively suggesting McGregor gives him little reason to be concerned.
For now, the fight remains speculative. But Oliveira’s words will only fuel the sense that he sees McGregor as a name, not a threat.
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