In the UFC 309 co-main event last Saturday, Charles Oliveira handed Michael Chandler his second straight defeat after an enthralling five-round back-and-forth war.
Last Saturday at UFC 309, Michael Chandler returned to the Octagon for the first time in more than two years, looking to avenge his 2021 loss to Charles Oliveira.
'Iron' Chandler was obviously set to fight Conor McGregor following their appearance on The Ultimate Fighter, but after continued delays, Chandler opted to take another fight.
Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images
Charles Oliveira hands Michael Chandler loss after UFC 309 war
The 38-year-old was confident victory over 'Do Bronx' at UFC 309 would secure his next lightweight title against the winner of Islam Makhachev and Arman Tsarukyan.
However, beating the former lightweight champion proved more difficult than Chandler had hoped, and the Brazilian showed he is still a challenger in the 155lb division.
After seemingly taking an eye poke early in the fight, Oliveira shook it off and started applying his patented forward pressure, giving Chandler early trouble.
Soon after, the 35-year-old landed a huge takedown and controlled most of the round at full power, while Chandler merely looked to stay out of the way of any submissions.
The next three rounds played out much the same, with Chandler landing the main strikes in the exchanges, while also managing to get the fight to the ground whenever he wanted.
Despite this, the American landed a huge blow in the final round, leaving Oliveira sitting uncomfortably against the cage. The Brazilian tried for a takedown, but it was reversed by Chandler, who started a hell of a ground-and-pound reign.
Although the majority of Chandler's shots seemingly landed on the back of Oliveira's head, the referee gave no warning and was about to intervene and call off the fight, but the Brazilian just hung on.
Michael Chandler returns to calling Conor McGregor after UFC 309 loss
The 38-year-old was hoping for a win to finally challenge for undisputed UFC gold, but after his loss he returned to his old rival, McGregor.
“Madison Square Garden, aren't you entertained?” Chandler asked when he got the mic from Joe Rogan.
“Hey, I got a bunch of calls, I had to show up tonight, do my job and win the battle, forget about calling out Islam, Charles is doing that now. Maybe Max Holloway for the BMF belt.
“Or, Conor McGregor, if you ever manage to get your house in order while we real professionals have kept the Octagon warm, we wonder where you've been, Conor. Come back and defeat me, if you can! Chandler said.
Typically, 'The Notorious' is extremely active on social media during major UFC PPV Fight Nights. However, the Irishman has not yet commented on Chandler's performance against Oliveira.
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