Another week to go before Charles Oliveira celebrates his 36th birthday. That still makes him two years junior to fellow Brazilian Alex Pereira. But unlike Poatan, who punished Magomed Ankalaev and reclaimed the light heavyweight crown this past weekend, Oliveira has few things to cheer for. Since the first attempt at regaining the lightweight title three years ago, it’s been a journey filled with ups and downs. The opening-round loss to Ilia Topuria in June left fresh wounds. So if he wants to make his birthday sweeter and add some more cherries on top of the cake, he has to defeat Mateusz Gamrot at UFC Rio this Saturday.

Still, is that sufficient to silence the whispers? Talks about retirement have gained significant traction of late. Now, as far as Charles Oliveira is concerned, that’s all rubbish. Some wishful thinking, largely a media-sparked rumor. In an interview, the jiu-jitsu expert addressed the concerns that soared following his recent loss to Topuria. He still has a few fights left in him. And if the stars align, he hopes to find a place on the White House card against Conor McGregor! Now, considering the Irish superstar has been slapped with an 18-month ban, will Oliveira’s dream come true? It remains a million-dollar question.

Charles Oliveira fires back: I’m not done yet

Ahead of UFC Fight Night 261, Charles Oliveira spoke with MMA Junkie’s Danny Segura. Getting down to brass tacks, Segura asked, “You’ve obviously had a lengthy career fighting at home in Rio. Um, you know, people are wondering that. So, I just make sure we still get Charles Oliveira for a while, or maybe this is it? ” And the former champion minced no words. Through a translator, Oliveira responded, “Man, honestly, retirement comes from you guys. At no point have I planned or even thought about retiring.”

Oliveira was clearly frustrated. The line of query recurred across interviews. “I don’t know what’s going on. Because in every interview, the same thing comes up—retirement, retirement. I’ve never considered it, never even thought about it, and yet all the questions are always about retiring. I’m not even thinking about that,” he explained.

Danny Segura understood. Talks about retirement and future plans clearly pained Oliveira. So Segura pointed out how the talks may have emerged, possibly due to the love and affection fans have for Oliveira. Most of them seemed worried and didn’t want him to get hurt.

To gauge Oliveira’s intentions, followers only need to look at his latest comments.

Conor McGregor, are you listening?

He wants to join Conor McGregor for a dance at the UFC White House. Planned for June 2026, the event, which many deem historic in the promotion’s history, has become the talking point across several corners. For the fixtures, one name that has consistently been doing the rounds is that of McGregor.

Laying out in the open that it’s as much about legacy as it is about money, Oliveira said, “When we talk about legacy, that’s going to be gigantic. Why not do a big fight there? That would be really good. Everybody wants to fight there, I think. If the UFC needs me, I’ll be ready. I don’t even like to say that. Everybody knows what would be the fight there: Charles Oliveira and Conor McGregor! That’s the money fight.”

Now, how much of that dream gets fulfilled remains to be seen. It’s been four years since McGregor stepped into the cage. Now the 18-month ban, imposed reportedly for missing three sample collections, will be over only by March next year. With just months left for the White House show, how things pan out nobody knows.

Still, diehards should at least feel relieved. Charles Oliveira has no plans to retire immediately.

What’s your take? Do you think Oliveira has the gas to keep his career going a bit longer?