Diego Lima, coach of Brazilian UFC fighter Charles Oliveira, revealed that Conor McGregor wrote to his client before the fight against Islam Makhachev.
Before Makhachev, McGregor texted Oliveira telling him to wait, not to fight.
In an interview with MMA Fighting Lima said:
They exchanged direct messages. McGregor sent him a video training and running at the beach. If we had waited for him, how long would that have been? We'd be three years with no fight already. We can't wait. We need to work.
Oliveira last stepped into the octagon also against Dariush in June 2023 at UFC 289. That fight, which was stopped in the first round, ended in favor of Charles by technical knockout. He has 34 wins and nine losses on his record.
Makhachev last stepped into the octagon in October 2023 at UFC 294, defeating Alexander Volkanovski by first-round knockout in a rematch. He has 25 wins and one loss on his record.
McGregor last fought against Dustin Poirier in July 2021 at UFC 264. In this fight, Conor was defeated by technical knockout after breaking his leg. He has 22 wins and six losses on his record.