Heaping praise on former undisputed lightweight champion, Charles Oliveira off the back of his UFC 289 victory over the course of last weekend, division contender, Michael Chandler has claimed that if possible in the future, he would relish the opportunity to fight the Brazilian in a rematch.
Chandler, the current #5 ranked lightweight contender, has been sidelined from the Octagon since he featured on the main card of UFC 281 back in November at Madison Square Garden, suffering a third round rear-naked choke submission loss to former interim champion, Dustin Poirier.
Returning to the Octagon at UFC 289 over the course of the weekend, Oliveira managed to return to the winner’s enclosure with a blistering first round win over the streaking, Beneil Dariush, finishing the Iranian-born grappler with a stunning opening frame series of ground strikes en route to a TKO stoppage victory.
Michael Chandler heaps praise on Charles Oliveira following UFC 289
Expected to share the Octagon with former two-weight champion, Conor McGregor next, Chandler, who has served as an opposing coach on The Ultimate Fighter 31 – showered praise on Oliveira’s performance in Canada.
“Guys, Charles Oliveira is an absolute savage,” Michael Chandler said on his YouTube channel. “Charles Oliveira vs. Beniel Dariush; Dariush on a long win streak, Charles Oliveira obviously a ton of fire still in his belly wanting to get that UFC title. Charles Oliveira showed up under the brightest lights, the biggest opportunity, a title eliminator to get him back to a title shot.”
And it remains to be seen if he will get the next title shot against Islam Makhachev, but the way that he fought Saturday night at UFC 289, the dude looks like he is coming back for that title.”
Himself sharing the Octagon with Oliveira in a vacant title fight back in May 2021, Chandler dropped the Sao Paulo native in the opening round with a late knockdown, however, suffered a quickfire second round KO loss to Oliveira in the early goings of the frame.
And maintaining his interest in a future re-run with the promotion’s most prolific finisher, Michael Chandler weighed up a possible rematch with Oliveira in the near future.
“I hope to share the Octagon with him again, eventually,” Michael Chandler explained. “I would like to run that one back, obviously. But the way he looked that night against Dariush [at] UFC 289, was abolutelt masterful. Hat’s off to you, Charles. God bless. See you at the top.”