Michael Chandler may not have won at UFC 309, but he did walk away with his reputation intact as the man who brings the show.
It was a close thing. For four rounds, Charles Oliveira bodied “Iron Mike,” finishing each round in a dominant position with near-finishes. But in round five, Chandler came alive. He caught “Do Bronx” with a big right hand (followed by a left right in the eyes) and then piled on the pressure, nearly finishing his Brazilian opponent with chopping blows to the side of his head.
Oliveira would survive and take back control of the fight, ending up on Chandler’s back for the final minute of the fight. But rather than wilt, Chandler stood up and walked to the center of the octagon before dropping to his back, slamming Oliveira in the process. He’d do it again to raucous cheers from the crowd at Madison Square Garden.
The sport of MMA thrives on ‘Holy Shit’ moments, and Chandler’s wild near-comeback and refusal to give up in the face of defeat was the biggest moment of the night. Granted the right to a post-fight interview in the cage with Joe Rogan, Chandler once again called out Conor McGregor.
“Maybe Max Hollway for the BMF belt,” he suggested. “OR! Conor McGregor! If you can ever get your house back in order, while us real professionals have been keeping the octagon warm, we’re wondering where you’ve been, Conor. Come back and beat me. If you can!”
None of this would have been possible if Chandler had fallen in the first or second round after getting chased around the edge of the octagon by Oliveira. If “Do Bronx” had choked him out as it appeared he would several times, the only thing Chandler would have is a bunch of running memes and regret over two lost years waiting for McGregor.
Let’s be clear: the UFC has not been kind to Michael Chandler. They slotted him as Conor’s opponent back before “The Notorious” was even cleared by USADA to compete again. He waited over a year for UFC 303 to come together then fall apart, and waited six more months before the UFC finally offered him Charles Oliveira on two months notice. On paper it was tough comeback for Chandler, and that’s how it played out in reality.
If it wasn’t for Chandler’s grit in the face of an absolute ass kicking, the narrative on where he was in his career and what fights he might deserve next would be very different. But he somehow managed to turn things around with one big punch and two slams in the fifth. Now he’s in a position to take a number of big fights. Let’s just hope the UFC doesn’t ‘gift’ him with McGregor as an opponent without a fight date again.
