Michael Chandler has moved on from Conor McGregor, at least for now.
The former Bellator MMA lightweight champion will face Charles Oliveira in a rematch on November 16 at UFC 309. Following an initial report by Barstool Sports, multiple media outlets have confirmed the matchup. UFC 309 will take place at Madison Square Garden in New York. A heavyweight title fight between Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic is expected to headline the card, but the bout has yet to be confirmed by the promotion. Chandler vs. Oliveira 2 will reportedly be a five-round co-main event.
Chandler had been waiting to face McGregor since coaching him at The Ultimate Fighter 31 in the summer of 2023, but spoke about his decision to choose a different opponent.
“I’ve had more publicity, more attention, more everything in the last year and a half than I could ever have gotten from three fights, and now I have a chance at a title shot,” Chandler said on his YouTube channel. “If I beat Charles Oliveira, I’ll be the number one contender. If I beat Charles Oliveira, I have the option to fight Islam.”
[Makhachev] Or Armand [Tsarukyan]I think I will become Muslim. Or maybe, if Conor finally gets his house in order, organizes a training camp and gets to fight, I will fight Conor and finish The Ultimate Fighter 31. This is the ultimate bet on myself…
“I still [the McGregor fight]”The fight is not decided yet, but I am changing course. Why? Because I am a through and through fighter. I think you forget that. Nobody would have had the guts to make this decision and bet on themselves like this.”
Chandler and Oliveira fought for the vacant lightweight title at UFC 262 on May 15, 2021, with “The Bronx” Oliveira winning the belt via second-round technical knockout. Including that bout, the 38-year-old Chandler has lost three of his past four Octagon appearances and has not competed since a third-round submission loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 281 in November 2022.
Oliveira, a former lightweight champion, is coming off a closely fought split decision loss to Arman Tsarukyan in a title bout at UFC 300 on April 13. The 34-year-old Brazilian has won 11 straight bouts with the Las Vegas-based organization from June 2018 to May 2022.
