Michael Chandler failed to get revenge against Charles Oliveira at UFC 309.
The former three-time Bellator champion was knocked out cold when he squared off against Oliveira for the UFC lightweight title in March 2021, and the Brazilian improved to 2-0 when they rematched at Madison Square Garden in New York on Saturday night.
Chandler was down 4-0 before things got massively interesting in the fifth and final round at UFC 309.
‘Iron Mike’ threw caution the win and it almost paid off as he badly rocked Oliveira, who managed to survive the onslaught, pick up a unanimous decision victory and put himself back in the 155lb title mix.
The story of Charles Oliveira vs Michael Chandler 2
An eye poke was the first significant strike of the UFC 309 co-main event, but Charles Oliveira managed to shrug it off and force Michael Chandler to the floor.
‘Do Bronx’ landed in an awkward position, opening up the possibility of a leg lock attempt, but the former champion ultimately opted against the attack as he settled for seeing the round out in top position.
Oliveira dropped Chandler early in the second as he threatened to repeat his finish from three years ago.
‘Iron Mike’ survived the flurry but found himself getting mounted and pounded on until the round ended.
Chandler chose to put himself against the fence as he tried to trade punches with Oliveira early in round three, but it wasn’t long before he was breathing with his mouth wide open while shipping lots of punishment.
Once again, Oliveira took him down to the floor with ease. The Brazilian submission specialist quickly hopped on Chandler’s back, where he attempted submissions and hammered away with strikes until the round was over.
Chandler came out swinging in round four. The 38-year-old landed a few eye-catching punches, but they weren’t enough to make a dent in Oliveira, who continued to press forward before jumping on his opponent’s back from a clinch position.
At this point, a clear pattern was emerging. Oliveira dominated with ground strikes and submission attempts, while Chandler showed true grit to survive the punishment and make it to the fifth round.
Chandler’s corner team told him he needed a finish in the final five minutes, and he almost got it as he badly wobbled Oliveira before smashing him with punches when they went to the floor.
The KO didn’t come. Oliveira got back to his feet before securing another takedown. In the final seconds, Chandler stood up before throwing himself back to the floor twice in remarkable scenes that made the crowd, which included Donald Trump, go wild.
A few new fans were earned in that moment, but the three cageside judges showed him next to no love as they turned in 49-46, 49-46, and 49-45 scorecards in favor of Oliveira.
Michael Chandler calls out Conor McGregor
Chandler was supposed to fight Conor McGregor at UFC 303 in June, but MMA’s biggest star broke his toe in training and withdrew from the contest.
Dana White recently revealed McGregor is likely to return at some point in 2025, and when he does, Chandler wants to be the man he squares off against in his first fight since suffering a leg break at UFC 264 in July 2021.
“I have a bunch of call-outs,” Chandler told Joe Rogan post-fight at UFC 309. “Forget calling out Islam [Makhachev]Charles is doing that next. Maybe Max Holloway for the BMF belt or Conor McGregor if you can ever get your house back in order.
“While us real professionals have been keeping the Octagon warm, we’ve been wondering where you are, Conor. Come back and beat me if you can!”
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