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Charles Oliveira's manager delivers harsh reality check on Conor McGregor's fighting future

Originally posted on MMA on SI | By Drew Beaupre | Last updated Jan 28, 2025 3:28 PM ET

There’s no shortage of people in the combat sports community wondering if Conor McGregor will ever compete in the UFC again.

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A former two-division champion and the biggest star in UFC history, McGregor hasn’t stepped into the Octagon since a leg injury ended his trilogy fight with Dustin Poirier after the opening round at UFC 264 back in 2021.

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The Irishman was scheduled to return against his opposing The Ultimate Fighter coach Michael Chandler in the main event of UFC 303 last June. A toe injury forced McGregor out of the fight, and as of yet there’s been no concrete plans made for the 36-year-old to return in 2025.

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“The Notorious” has been largely occupied with lawsuits and his part-ownership of BKFC as of late, and one prominent combat sports figure that doesn’t expect McGregor to fight again is Charles Oliveira’s coach and manager Diego Lima.

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“There’s no reason to bark up the wrong tree, I honestly don’t believe anymore,” Lima told MMA Fighting regarding a McGregor vs. Oliveria matchup. “When he achieved everything he could and became the highest-paid athlete in the world, surpassing Cristiano Ronaldo, [Lionel] Messi, Floyd Mayweather and every NFL and NBA player, he got to a point where no one imagined a MMA fighter would ever get.”

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"I Don't Believe He Fights Again"

There’s still no shortage of fighters on the UFC roster that are eager for a chance to welcome McGregor back to the Octagon, but the Irishman’s fame and wealth have led Lima and plenty of others to question if the former two-division champion has the drive necessary to return to the UFC.

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“You don’t train with the same hunger, you don’t have the same focus,” Lima continued. “And maybe he’s not wrong. He’s reached something many considered unreachable. Honestly, I don’t believe he fights again. ‘Oh, but what if he does fight again?’ Then we would be discussing what ifs. Would that be cool? Of course it would. Of course that Charles wants to fight him. But there’s no point discussing it because, in my opinion, he doesn’t fight anymore. He’s not an option right now.”

One of the most popular fighters on the UFC roster and a former lightweight champion, Oliveira suffered a split decision loss to Arman Tsarukyan at UFC 300 but rebounded with a win over Chandler in November after the latter fighter gave up on waiting for his promised fight with McGregor.

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Tsarukyan was scheduled to meet UFC Lightweight Champion Islam Makhachev at UFC 311 before withdrawing due to an injury on weigh-in day. UFC CEO Dana White indicated after the event that the #1 contender will have to work his way back to a title fight, and Oliveira has been actively campaigning for a rematch with Makhachev since then.