“He’s got a scary skillset” – John Kavanagh says fight against Charles Oliveira will make Conor McGregor train “early in the morning”

With Conor McGregor set to return from injury in 2022, the Irishman has already begun calling out the UFC’s current lightweight champion, Charles Oliveira. McGregor’s coach, John Kavanagh, has stated that this is exactly the type of fight needed to motivate the former double champ back into the form which once had the whole world buzzing.

Since capturing the lightweight title from Eddie Alvarez in 2016, Conor McGregor has struggled to put together a consistent run of form, having won only one fight following that historic night.

In a recent interview with Irish combat sports outlet, Severe MMA, Kavanagh had the following to say about Charles Oliveira’s skills in the octagon:

“Well look, Charles is the man right now. What’s it, 10 wins in a row? Something silly like that. Finishing most of them. He’s got a scary skillset. Very solid on the feet. He’s got wrestling, and his submissions are, if not the best, certainly up there in the entire UFC, never mind his own division.”

However, the coach feels that the dangerous nature of the fight could motivate Conor McGregor. Kavanagh said:

“So look, that’s a fight that I know would get Conor up early in the morning. That’s one that’s gonna get the goosebumps going and get you training hard. If that one was to come about, of course it would be a pleasure and an honor to prepare Conor for that.”

Check out the full interview below:

Who else could Conor McGregor face in his return bout?

While a fight with Charles Oliveira is no doubt the ideal return for Conor McGregor, it seems much more likely that Justin Gaethje will be given the next title shot.

This means that Conor McGregor may well have to take on a different opponent first. Michael Chandler has been open in his desire to fight the Irishman, as has Rafael dos Anjos. Both men are ranked within the top 10, and a win over either may well be enough to justify a title shot for ‘Notorious’.

Alternatively, the trilogy bout with Nate Diaz is always an option. Both men hold a win apiece, and fans would love to see the rivalry settled while the fighters are still in their prime.

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