Michael Chandler’s first UFC opponent has branded his new fight ‘weird’ after spending two years on the sidelines.
The former Bellator champion was inked to sign Conor McGregor in February of last year, and the pair coached opposite one another on The Ultimate Fighter. But after two years of delays and reschedulings, he has opted to go a different route.
Now, Chandler has signed up to fight Charles Oliveira at UFC 309 in Madison Square Garden; the same venue where he had his last outing in November of 2022. But his former foe isn’t too sure that the rematch of their 2021 title fight makes a great deal of sense at this stage.
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Michael Chandler signs up for Charles Oliveira rematch after Conor McGregor fight falls apart
After waiting for two years, it appears that Michael Chandler has decided to take his career into his own hands again and has signed up for a big rematch at Madison Square Garden. He faced Oliveira in 2021 for the vacant lightweight title, and appeared to be coasting to victory before being stopped.
Since then, he has lost to Justin Gaethje and Dustin Poirier, while viciously knocking out Tony Ferguson in a so-so run. As he approaches the end of his 30s, the American is likely seeing this as one last run at UFC gold, having won the belt in his previous promotion.
The news was announced last week, much to the surprise of fans who were expecting an announcement imminently about the McGregor fight. It had been arranged for UFC 303 in June, but the Irishman had to pull out with a broken toe.
Dan Hooker brands Chandler vs Oliveira fight ‘weird’ as he eyes next move
After his stunning win over Mateusz Gamrot at UFC 305 landed him in the top five at lightweight, there had been rumors that Dan Hooker might get the fight with Oliveira. However, it came as a shock to many when it was announced that the former champion would instead rematch Chandler at UFC 309.
“It is what it is,” Hooker told Submission Radio when asked about the announcement. “I get why they kind of put that fight together. That’s a big fight for the division, but I don’t know, it’s a weird fight… I was kind of trying to justify the fight, but no, it’s just a weird fight.
“Yeah, that might be just because I might have something up my sleeve as well too there, brother. Might have a little something on the fire there, but it must be good if I’m saying nothing. I get why Chandler would want the fight.
“Obviously, if he gets past Oliveira, the UFC has kind of promised him a title shot, but I don’t know too much about what Charles will get out of it. I can’t see it like the fight is amazing. At our level at the top five or six in the division all of these fights are a coin flip.”
Michael Chandler claims he could still face Conor McGregor after UFC 309
While it appears that a win over Oliveira would set him up for a shot at champion Islam Makhachev, there is also always the possibility that Chandler ends up going back to the Conor McGregor well. The Irishman is the sport’s most famous figure, and would draw a monster purse.
And speaking yesterday at Anthony Joshua vs Daniel Dubois in London, McGregor indicated that he would still be interested in facing Chandler once the Oliveira fight is done. He claims to want two fights next year before entering one of the most anticipated free agency periods in history.
And Chandler is still open to the idea, telling reporters at UFC 306 last week: “I’ve always given my opponents a ton of respect. There’s a difference between booking a fight with Conor McGregor, and everyone else in the entire sport.
“There’s different dates, locations, that you put Conor McGregor on. It’s different, and there’s a lot of layers. I love the fight against Conor, and I will fight Conor in 2025. But right now we’re going to go and fight and beat Charles.”
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