Tag: Michael Chandler

Michael Chandler Describes Charles Oliveira Rematch As His ‘Most Painful’ Fight Yet

Michael Chandler’s latest appearance in the Octagon turned out to be one of the most punishing of his career. Chandler ran it back with his former foe Charles Oliveira in the co-main event of UFC 309 last Saturday, only to fall short in a brutal five-round battle. “Do Bronx” surged out of the gates, dominating […]

Michael Chandler’s latest appearance in the Octagon turned out to be one of the most punishing of his career.

Chandler ran it back with his former foe Charles Oliveira in the co-main event of UFC 309 last Saturday, only to fall short in a brutal five-round battle. “Do Bronx” surged out of the gates, dominating the first four rounds with his striking and then smothering Chandler on the ground.

It seemed like Oliveira was on cruise control toward victory but “Iron” found a second wind in the final round, landing heavy shots that stunned the Brazilian. However, Chandler’s late rally wasn’t enough.

During a recent appearance on Bussin’ With The Boys, “Iron” revealed that his rematch with Oliveira left him with the most severe damage he’s ever experienced in a fight.

The injuries sustained were the worst of his career, bringing with them intense pain, swelling, and a host of other physical setbacks.

“Iron” and Oliveira first collided at UFC 262 in May 2021, where the vacant 155-pound title was on the line. On that night, “Do Bronx” proved to be too much for Chandler and secured a stunning second-round knockout to claim the belt.

At UFC 309, Chandler made his long-awaited return to the Octagon after a two-year hiatus, during which he patiently waited for a high-profile matchup against Conor McGregor.

The former Bellator champion was initially booked to face “The Notorious” at UFC 303 in June, but the fight was ultimately called off after McGregor suffered an injury less than a month before the scheduled bout.

Michael Chandler Says First-Round Injury Affected Performance Against Charles Oliveira At UFC 309

UFC lightweight contender Michael Chandler believes he fought “23 minutes” of his rematch against Charles Oliveira with a severely compromised leg. Chandler’s negative Octagon record took further damage at this past weekend’s UFC 309 pay-per-view, where he fell to 2-4 since making the switch from Bellator to the sport’s leading promotion a number of years […]

UFC lightweight contender Michael Chandler believes he fought “23 minutes” of his rematch against Charles Oliveira with a severely compromised leg.

Chandler’s negative Octagon record took further damage at this past weekend’s UFC 309 pay-per-view, where he fell to 2-4 since making the switch from Bellator to the sport’s leading promotion a number of years ago.

In the co-main event at Madison Square Garden, Oliveira added his name to the American’s losing column once again, this time in much more convincing fashion.

While the Brazilian had to mount a memorable comeback to get the better of “Iron” back in 2022, he was on top from the word go when the pair ran it back. And after weathering a late burst from Chandler in round five, “Do Bronx” had his hand raised by way of a lopsided decision.

Given the success and near-title win he had against Oliveira previously, many were expecting more from the ex-Bellator champ. And that was evidently the case for the man himself, who believes he was prevented from competing at his best by a physical issue.

During a recent appearance on the Bussin’ With The Boys podcast, Chandler suggested that an early grappling exchange with Oliveira in the first round injured his knee, thus preventing him from employing his usual forward-pressure style.

“I think something happened to the knee in that first exchange when he had the leg and I did that full 360, he did a kneebar thing, because I walked back to the stool and I looked down at my left leg and it was not working right,” Chandler said. “It wasn’t stepping, it wasn’t catching, it was unstable, it was weird. … You know what it feels like to be on a solid foundation, to walk forward, move forward, attack, and I just wasn’t. 

“Moving backwards was no problem, so my body and my brain was telling me moving backwards was cool but moving forward, planting and being in his face, pressure — even if you go back and watch the fifth [round] … whenever I was pursuing him, my leg was almost flopping rather than stalking and moving forward,” Chandler continued. “We’ll see what happened, but essentially for 23 minutes of that fight I don’t know if the leg was really working that well.”

Regardless, that won’t affect Oliveira’s celebrations as he looks ahead to an expected showdown opposite whoever emerges from Islam Makhachev’s defense against Arman Tsarukyan with the lightweight gold in their possession.

Chandler, meanwhile, made his intentions for 2025 clear inside the Octagon, once again calling for MMA superstar Conor McGregor to face him for his comeback fight — should that ever happen.

Conor McGregor Gives First Reaction To Michael Chandler’s UFC 309 Loss: ‘Mad Little Fellow’

Former two-division UFC champion Conor McGregor gave some surprising props to Michael Chandler a couple of days on from his defeat this past weekend. Chandler made the walk for the first time in two years at Saturday’s UFC 309 pay-per-view, bringing an end to his long wait to share the cage with McGregor by running […]

Former two-division UFC champion Conor McGregor gave some surprising props to Michael Chandler a couple of days on from his defeat this past weekend.

Chandler made the walk for the first time in two years at Saturday’s UFC 309 pay-per-view, bringing an end to his long wait to share the cage with McGregor by running it back with ex-lightweight kingpin Charles Oliveira instead.

“Iron” had previously come inches away from defeating “Do Bronx” and becoming a UFC titleholder in just his second Octagon outing. A miraculous comeback from the Brazilian on that occasion, however, spoiled Chandler’s plans.

And in the co-main event at Madison Square Garden, Oliveira did so once again by establishing himself as the likely next in line for either Islam Makhachev or Arman Tsarukyan.

Oliveira’s second victory over Chandler came in much more convincing fashion, with “Do Bronx” dominating the American en route to a lopsided unanimous decision. The former Bellator champ did have his moments late in the day, and they were seemingly enough to get some respect from “The Notorious.”

After remaining silent on fight night, McGregor finally gave his reaction to Chandler’s display in a now-deleted X post Monday night.

Conor McGregor on Michael Chandle

“Cut Michael Chandler! Just kidding, good fight,” McGregor wrote. “Mad little fellow is Michael. I like em’!”

McGregor’s comment was without a response to Chandler’s post-fight callout. Despite his previously failed wait, “Iron” once again had the Dubliner’s name on his lips as he pursues the lucrative showdown opposite his fellow TUF 31 coach in 2025.

For now, the Irishman has matters to attend to in the court room. He’s currently embroiled in a civil action trial at Dublin’s Irish High Court after being accused of sexual assault.

Conor McGregor Calls For Dana White to Cut Michael Chandler Following Latest Loss at UFC 309

Conor McGregor Calls For Dana White to Cut Michael Chandler Following Latest Loss at UFC 309Conor McGregor thinks Michael Chandler should be cut after coming up short at UFC 309. Okay, not really, but…

Conor McGregor Calls For Dana White to Cut Michael Chandler Following Latest Loss at UFC 309

Conor McGregor thinks Michael Chandler should be cut after coming up short at UFC 309. Okay, not really, but we all knew the Irish megastar would eventually react to Chandler’s latest loss one way or another.

After waiting the better part of two years for a fight with McGregor that never came to fruition, the former Bellator champion returned to the Octagon on Saturday night for a rematch with former lightweight titleholder Charles Oliveira. Chandler delivered another exciting showing that had fight fans on their feet — particularly in the fifth and final round — but it wasn’t enough to land in the win column.

Conor McGregor
Conor McGregor

‘Do Bronx’ leaned on his BJJ skills to take an early lead against ‘Iron’ and never look back, setting himself up for a potential rematch with reigning lightweight king Islam Makhachev — once the ‘Dagestani Destroyer’ takes care of a bit of business with Arman Tsarukyan.

McGregor, who was long-tied to a fight with Chandler until ‘Iron’ ultimately decided to move on, reacted to his former TUF foe’s loss on social media.

Conor McGregor

“Cut Michael Chandler! Just kidding, good fight,” McGregor wrote in a since-deleted post on X. “Mad little fellow is Michael. I like ’em!”

Dana White assures conor mcGregor that ‘Iron’ isn’t going anywhere

Even if McGregor was sincere in his initial statement, it sounds like Dana White has no intention of letting Chandler go.

“He’s like an Arturo Gatti,” White said during the UFC 309 post-fight press conference. “He’s one of those — win, lose, or draw, you’re never bummed out at the end of a Michael Chandler fight. He’s always exciting, he’s always fun. In the last round of that fight, he kept getting taken down.

“He got on his back. So when he got on his back at the end, he just stood up and started slamming him…The kid always tries to win. He always comes to fight, and Michael Chandler’s always going to have a home here. Until he decides to retire, Michael Chandler isn’t going anywhere” (h/t MMA Mania).

On paper, Chandler’s record isn’t exactly anything to write home about. He’s 2-4 with losses against the likes of Justin Gaethje, Dustin Poirier, and Charles Oliveira. But those who watched those fights know the value that ‘Iron’ brings to any UFC card he’s connected to.

gettyimages 2185188734 612x612 1

Dan Hooker Criticizes Michael Chandler Calling For BMF Title Fight: ‘It’s Not Our Title’

Following his loss to Charles Oliveira in the co-main event of UFC 309, Michael Chandler called for two potential fights in the near future. “Iron” Mike admitted that he planned to push for the winner of the upcoming lightweight title fight between Islam Makhachev and Arman Tsarukyan which is expected to take place early next […]

Following his loss to Charles Oliveira in the co-main event of UFC 309, Michael Chandler called for two potential fights in the near future. “Iron” Mike admitted that he planned to push for the winner of the upcoming lightweight title fight between Islam Makhachev and Arman Tsarukyan which is expected to take place early next year.

After losing the first four rounds in his rematch with “Do Bronx”, which he nearly produced an all-time great comeback in during the fifth round, Chandler pivoted towards two huge match-ups that are still out there for him in the lightweight division. The most obvious of those two options is his long-awaited fight with Conor McGregor that somehow seems less likely than his other call out.

Chandler said that with Max Holloway committing to lightweight following his UFC 308 loss, he’d love the opportunity to fight for the BMF title that currently belongs to “Blessed”. Another name that is also in the mix for huge bouts at 155-pounds is Dan Hooker who commented on his former opponent’s BMF desires during a recent interview with Submission Radio.

“The Hangman” believes that contenders need to stop trying to decide who should fight for the BMF title because it’s a belt that is purely for the fans. He’s likely to be in that conversation as someone who always puts on great fights but Hooker isn’t going to start saying that this is what he wants next.

“I don’t see like Chandler calling for the BMF like why does everyone keep throwing their hands up for the BMF, it’s not up to us. It’s not our title, the BMF title is for the fans. It’s for the fans to kind of get the steam and get it together. People need to stop calling out for the BMF title brother. That’s the fans’ title, it’s their fun.”

Charles Oliveira Addresses Myriad Of Fouls From Michael Chandler At UFC 309

Former UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira was left frustrated by referee Keith Peterson’s officiating of this past weekend’s co-main event. Oliveira delivered one of the performances of the night at Saturday’s UFC 309 pay-per-view, where he added a second victory over former three-time Bellator champion Michael Chandler to his record. First time around, “Do Bronx” […]

Former UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira was left frustrated by referee Keith Peterson’s officiating of this past weekend’s co-main event.

Oliveira delivered one of the performances of the night at Saturday’s UFC 309 pay-per-view, where he added a second victory over former three-time Bellator champion Michael Chandler to his record.

First time around, “Do Bronx” was swarmed early and had to mount an incredible comeback to finish “Iron” in round two and have the 155-pound gold wrapped around his waist.

In the rematch three and a half years later at Madison Square Garden, things were simpler for the Brazilian for the most part and it was instead Chandler tasked with coming from behind.

The fifth and final frame saw the American come close to doing so after he rocked Oliveira on the feet and established a dominant position on the ground. The onslaught of strikes that followed, however, caused controversy as they largely appeared to cannon into the back of the eventual victor’s head.

And that was just the latest instance of apparent fouling, with fans highlighting fence grabs during the fight and “Do Bronx” complaining of eye pokes and glove grabbing.

During his post-fight press conference at MSG, Oliveira shed light on the multitude of fouls dealt his way at UFC 309, questioning why referee Peterson didn’t intervene a single time.

“I’m not here to criticize,” Oliveira said. “But I wanna tell you something: there were a lot of blows to the back of the head, a lot of fence grabbing. There was also some eye pokes. And I was telling the ref what was going on, I was calling for his attention and nothing would happen. I hoped that he would intervene, but nothing happened.”

This is far from the first time Chandler has been accused of deliberate fouling. He notably caught the wrath of Dustin Poirier in the aftermath of their fight after appearing to fishhook “The Diamond” during a grappling exchange.

Oliveira thankfully didn’t have to deal with that kind of foul, and he ultimately recovered from some egregious back-of-the-head blows to have his hand raised by way of a convincing unanimous decision.

He’ll now turn his attention to the expected lightweight title clash between champ Islam Makhachev and challenger Arman Tsarukyan next month in Los Angeles, as he gears up to potentially battle the winner later in the year.