{"id":14,"date":"2026-06-25T06:09:22","date_gmt":"2026-06-25T06:09:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/mma\/?p=14"},"modified":"2026-06-25T14:30:24","modified_gmt":"2026-06-25T14:30:24","slug":"charles-oliveira-claims-conor-mcgregor-handpicked-max-holloway-over-him-for-ufc-329-return","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/mma\/2026\/06\/25\/charles-oliveira-claims-conor-mcgregor-handpicked-max-holloway-over-him-for-ufc-329-return\/","title":{"rendered":"Charles Oliveira Claims Conor McGregor Handpicked Max Holloway Over Him for UFC 329 Return"},"content":{"rendered":"

Remember when Conor McGregor sported a Brazilian flag-themed mouthguard during his trilogy <\/span>bout against Dustin Poirier<\/span><\/a> at UFC 264 in 2021? The move appeared to be a calculated attempt to catch the attention of then-newly crowned UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira, who had captured the vacant title by defeating Michael Chandler at UFC 262. Had McGregor defeated Poirier in their Sin City rubber match, he likely would have secured an immediate shot at the 155-pound title.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The customized mouthguard seemed to hint at exactly where his focus was: a blockbuster showdown with Oliveira. However, those plans came crashing down when McGregor suffered a gruesome leg break at the end of the opening round, bringing the fight to a premature conclusion. The long-anticipated matchup with Oliveira never materialized, as McGregor did not return to UFC<\/a> competition for years.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Now, ‘The Notorious’ is finally set to make his Octagon comeback against Max Holloway at UFC 329 on July 11 during International Fight Week. Despite the passage of time, Oliveira still appears interested in securing a lucrative fight against the Irish superstar. In fact, the former lightweight champion recently suggested that McGregor deliberately chose Holloway over him for his return bout.<\/span><\/p>\n

Speaking to Action Network<\/span><\/a>, Oliveira said, <\/span>“He actually asked for the fight to be three rounds, and he picked the opponent. Because, in reality, everyone knows that fight was supposed to be against me, but he chose the opponent. That’s part of the game. You’ve got to choose what you think is best for you.”<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

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Charles Oliveira says he was supposed to fight Conor McGregor, but Conor chose to fight Max Holloway instead:<\/p>\n

“[Conor] actually asked for the fight to be three rounds and he picked the opponent. Because, in reality, everyone knows that fight was supposed to be against me, but he\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/yrMCidZJpc<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) June 25, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n