Could Charles Oliveira win a rematch against Islam Makhachev and/or Arman Tsarukyan?
NEW YORK – [autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag] asked for a cage-side seat for whenever [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] and [autotag]Arman Tsarukyan[/autotag] throw down.
Promotion CEO Dana White obliged that request in short order, impressed by the performance Oliveira (35-10 MMA, 23-10 UFC) put forth in his win over Michael Chandler on Saturday at UFC 309.
Oliveira has fought both Makhachev (26-1 MMA, 15-1 UFC) and Tsarukyan (22-3 MMA, 9-2 UFC) in the past, but he doesn’t care who walks away victorious. The only thing that matters to him is a championship belt.
“For sure. I want to be a champion,” Oliveira told MMA Junkie and other reporters through a Portuguese-language interpreter at a post-fight news conference. “Everybody knows this. I’m just going to take a couple days off. Since the boss told you guys he’ll come pick me up, I’ll be right there. … I’m not looking for any of them. I’m looking for that belt. Whoever’s got that belt, that’s who I want.”
Oliveira has won two of his most recent three. The defeat was a close split decision loss to Tsarukyan in April. Hungry to once again claim the throne, Oliveira thinks he took one step closer to that with his win over Chandler, a victory he’s very pleased of in the immediate aftermath.
“This is MMA,” Oliveira said. “I think all you want to do is win. It only shows how much I evolved and how much I got better. Old Charles, or Charles from before, would have tightened up a couple grips there and wasted energy or would’ve exploded a little bit to get out of certain positions. All I want to do was win.”
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Making Saturday’s win all the more incredible, Oliveira revealed his camp was bumpy. He suffered a knee injury that knocked him out of his preparation for a period of time, but he still carried out his mission in the end.
“I didn’t want to talk about it before, but yes I did have a knee injury,” Oliveira said. “I spent a lot of time actually without training. Things were tough. I wanted to thank first and foremost my team for not letting me back down, not letting me quit, not letting me stop and making this happen.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 309.
Jon Jones’ $42,000 led the Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts for UFC 309 in New York.
NEW YORK – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 309 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $262,500.
The program, a comprehensive plan that includes outfitting requirements, media obligations and other items under the fighter code of conduct, replaces the previous payments made under the UFC Athlete Outfitting Policy.
UFC 309 took place at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan. The main card aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPNews and ESPN+.
The full UFC 309 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:
Under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program’s payout tiers, which appropriate the money generated by Venum’s multi-year sponsorship with the UFC, fighters are paid based on their total number of UFC bouts, as well as Zuffa-era WEC fights (January 2007 and later) and Zuffa-era Strikeforce bouts (April 2011 and later). Fighters with 1-3 bouts receive $4,000 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,500; 6-10 bouts get $6,000; 11-15 bouts earn $11,000; 16-20 bouts pocket $16,000; and 21 bouts and more get $21,000. Additionally, champions earn $42,000 while title challengers get $32,000.
In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-30 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.
Full 2024 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:
The UFC 309 co-main event between Charles Oliveira and Michael Chandler had a wild ending, but a clear-cut winner.
[autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag] largely dominated [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag] on Saturday in the UFC 309 co-main event, but it wasn’t without a scare.
After four rounds of domination by Oliveira (35-10 MMA, 23-10 UFC) in the grappling department, he had to dig deep to survive a late onslaught from Chandler (23-9 MMA, 2-4 UFC). He ultimately won by unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 49-45).
In each of the first three rounds, Oliveira took down Chandler. And once there, it was his world. However, Chandler’s defense was good enough to fend off constant rear-naked choke attempts. In Round 2, Oliveira also landed some solid strikes on Chandler, who appeared to struggle with his footing, tripping over the cage at some points.
But much of the most memorable action took place in a wild Round 5. After a push kick by Oliveira seemed to wobble Chandler’s lead leg, the former Bellator champion got him back. Chandler landed a big punch that wobbled Oliveira and sent him on the retreat.
Oliveira tried to grab hold but Chandler dumped him to the canvas. Chandler then unloaded more than 12 punches, many of which appeared to be to the back of the head, though not in the eyes of referee Keith Peterson.
Chandler sat in Oliveira’s guard for a bit before eventually getting back to his feet. Once there, Chandler waved on Oliveira, only to be dragged to the canvas again.
In the final minutes, Oliveira grabbed Chandler’s back. Chandler then stood up not once, but twice, with Oliveira on his back. Each time, Chandler slammed Oliveira with a backdrop, but the Brazilian hung on tight as the final bell sounded.
With the win, Oliveira moves to 2-0 against Chandler. The two fought for the vacant lightweight title in May 2021 when Oliveira knocked out Chandler in the opening seconds of Round 2.
Oliveira bounces back from a split decision loss to Arman Tsarukyan in April. He moves to 2-1 in his most recent three.
As for Chandler, Saturday’s fight marked his first action since November 2022. He sat on the sidelines waiting for a Conor McGregor fight that has not yet materialized, but eventually decided to pivot. With the loss, Chandler moves to 1-4 in his most recent five.
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Up-to-the-minute UFC 309 results include:
Charles Oliveira def. Michael Chandler via unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 49-45)
Check out the best photos from Charles Oliveira’s unanimous decision win over Michael Chandler at UFC 309.
Check out the best photos from [autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag]’s dominant unanimous decision win over [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag] at UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden in New York. (Photos by Brad Penner, Imagn Images; UFC; MMA Junkie)
The MMA community reacted with praise to Charles Oliveira’s complete domination of Michael Chandler in their UFC 309 rematch.
[autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag] once again played spoiler to a big moment in [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag]’s career when he emerged victorious from Saturday’s UFC 309 rematch.
After stopping Chandler (23-9 MMA, 2-4 UFC) with strikes in a vacant lightweight title bout in May 2021, Oliveira (34-10 MMA, 23-10 UFC) once again got his hand raised, this time by unanimous decision in the co-headlining matchup at Madison Square Garden in New York.
Check below for the top X (formerly Twitter) reactions to Oliveira beating Chandler at UFC 309.
Before the fights get underway, join MMA Junkie’s Farah Hannoun for a live-streamed preview of UFC 309 in New York.
UFC 309 goes down Saturday night with a heavyweight championship showdown atop the bill, and before the fights get underway, Farah Hannoun will host a live-streamed preview show right here, which kicks off at 5 p.m. ET.
In the headliner, heavyweight champion Jon Jones (27-1 MMA, 21-1 UFC) puts his title on the line for the first time when he takes on former champ Stipe Miocic (20-4 MMA, 14-4 UFC) in a fight delayed by a year. In the co-feature, former lightweight champ Charles Oliveira (34-10 MMA, 22-10 UFC) takes on Michael Chandler (23-8 MMA, 2-3 UFC) after he was left at the altar by Conor McGregor.
UFC 309 takes place at Madison Square Garden in New York and streams on ESPN+ pay-per-view following prelims on ESPNews, ESPN+ and Hulu.
Below is the full UFC 309 lineup:
UFC 309 main card (pay-per-view, 10 p.m. ET)
Champ Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic – for heavyweight title
Analyzing Saturday’s UFC 309 odds between Charles Olivera vs. Michael Chandler, with MMA picks and predictions.
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In a 5-round lightweight bout on the main card, Charles Oliveira and Michael Chandler battle at UFC 309 on Saturday at Madison Square Garden. Let’s analyze FanDuel Sportsbook’s UFC odds around the UFC 309: Oliveira vs. Chandler odds, and make our expert picks and predictions.
The early prelims begin at 6 p.m. ET on hulu/ESPN+, while the prelims get started at 8 p.m. ET on ESPNews/FX/hulu/ESPN+. The main card begins at 10 p.m. ET on Pay-Per-View (PPV).
Records: Oliveira (34-10-0) | Chandler (23-8-0)
Oliveira is looking to rebound after a split-decision loss to Arman Tsarukyan at UFC 300 in mid-April. He lost his lightweight strap to Islam Makhachev at UFC 280, and while he followed that up with a first-round KO/TKO of veteran Beneil Dariush at UFC 289, after the loss to Tsarukyan, he is currently considered the No. 2 contender.
Chandler is also looking to bounce back from a loss, as he was submitted by Dustin Poirier at UFC 281 in his most recent showing Nov. 12, 2022. He is also looking for redemption, after eating fists at UFC 262 against Oliveira in their first matchup for the title on May 15, 2021. Oliveira won that fight via KO/TKO just 19 seconds into Round 2.
The 35-year-old Brazilian Muay Thai specialist Oliveira has a 2.5-inch reach advantage over the 38-year-old American fighter. Chandler holds a 4.89-to-3.39 significant strikes landed per minute advantage, although Oliveira is a little more accurate at 61.97% to just 51.79% for Chandler.
On the ground, Oliveira is deadly, posting a 2.81 submission average, to just 0.87 for Chandler. Both have a 2.17 takedown average, with Oliveira slightly more accurate on takedowns at 40.0%.
Oliviera (-250) has done it before against Chandler, knocking him out in short order in the first meeting. However, both fighters are coming off a loss, and risking 2½ times the potential return is not a smart investment. Let’s get a little more specific.
OLIVEIRA BY SUBMISSION (+150) is a much more attractive play, with much less risk, too. When the Brazilian can get fighters to the ground, it usually doesn’t end well for the opposition. He uses punishing Muay Thai kicks to the calves, weakening the legs of his opponent early on, before getting them to the canvas for the finish. He has been one of the best in UFC history, and while Chandler is a tremendous wrestler, it’s hard to come back from those devastating kicks to the calves.
OVER 1.5 ROUNDS (-112) is the best play on the board. While Oliveira will be trying to get this down to the mat early and often, Chandler is smart enough to hang around. This won’t be easy by any stretch, and it will be a lot more entertaining than that farce we saw on Netflix Friday night.
However, you can’t play the distance props as there is literally zero chance this fight goes all the way, yet you can’t play No (-1100): Will the fight go the distance, risking 11 times the potential return. That makes no sense, either.
Visit MMA Junkie for more fight news and analysis.
Charles Oliveira finished Michael Chandler once already. Can the ex-champ stop him again in their UFC 309 rematch?
MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom goes in-depth to break down the biggest fights in the UFC. Today, he takes a closer look at the UFC 309 main event between [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag] and [autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag].
Supplemental info:
+ Former UFC lightweight champion
+ Regional MMA titles
+ Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt
+ 10 KO victories
+ 21 submission wins
+ 16 first-round finishes
+ Aggressive pace and pressure
+ Improved boxing ability
^ Accurate hooks and uppercuts
+ Solid muay Thai arsenal
^ Dangerous knees and elbows
+ Hard leg kicks
+ Underrated wrestling ability
^ Strong takedowns from the clinch
+ Superb transitional grappler
^ Diverse submission acumen
+/- 2-0 in career rematches
Supplemental info:
+ 3x Bellator lightweight champion
+ 4x NCAA Division-I All-American wrestler
+ 11 KO victories
+ 7 submission wins
+ 12 first-round finishes
+ KO power
+ Aggressive pace and pressure
+ Improved footwork and fundamentals
^ Will shift stances in combination
+ Dangerous right hand
^ Coming forward or off the counter
+ Excellent wrestling ability
^ Explosive level-changing takedowns
+ Good transitional grappler
^ Effective ground strikes and submissions
+/- 3-2 in career rematches
+/- Coming off a 2-year layoff
Michael Chandler vs. Charles Oliveira point of interest: Striking the second time around
May 15, 2021; Houston, Texas, USA; Charles Oliveira lands a kick against Michael Chandler during UFC 262 at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
The co-main event in Madison Square Garden features a rematch between top-ranked lightweights, [autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag] and [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag].
Apparently sure things are death, taxes and the UFC matchmakers drowning us with rematches since the pandemic.
But in Mick Maynard and Sean Shelby’s defense, the first encounter between Oliveira and Chandler, which went down three years ago back at UFC 262, was the fun, back-and-forth action fight you’d expect from these two.
Chandler, who was incorporating the bodywork I called for the first time around, was able to build off a cross to the body in order to come up with a left hook that hurt Oliveira and sent him into grappling mode. The American was able to hurt Oliveira with another left hook after they got back to their feet, but it was the Brazilian’s left that had the last word in the following frame.
Catching Chandler resetting his head position back on center after another cross to the body, Oliveira was able to capitalize on a perfect interception that brought an end to the bout. Since then, “Do Bronx” has kept somewhat of a tightrope theme going forward regarding the fine line he walks in his fights.
Oliveira will still Thai march forward like a marauding madman, keeping a sort of “touch-n-go” theme, as he seems to have a bit of a hardwiring for catching and pitching punches.
The timing change-ups involved can work well on a plethora of opponents, but tempo and speed changes are a potent two-way street when dealing with an explosive athlete like Chandler.
An inherent pressure fighter who busted onto the UFC stage like a proverbial bull in a China shop, Chandler can seldom be found taking a back step in his contests. Carrying over the athletic ability and explosiveness that he demonstrated as a wrestler on the Mizzou mats, Chandler’s boxing technique made impressive strides back in his initial Bellator tournament run, which in turn helped him earn his first world title.
Since then, Chandler has seemed to settle down at Sanford MMA, where striking coach Henri Hooft has been able to help with the offensive fundamentals.
I’ll be curious to see what Chandler’s approach will be on the feet for this one; and if that plan involves a little more grappling this time around.
Michael Chandler vs. Charles Oliveira breakdown: Winning the wrestling
May 15, 2021; Houston, Texas, USA; Michael Chandler applies a hold against Charles Oliveira during UFC 262 at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Considering how close each party came to closing the show on the floor in their last meeting, I will be curious to see if either fighter is confident enough to gamble in the grappling department this time around.
A four-time NCAA All-American standout who comes from a solid program and wrestling class, Chandler demonstrates the ability to dictate wrestling traffic in most of his fights.
Whether Chandler is changing levels for a double or chaining off of a single-leg, the former Mizzou team captain can be difficult to deny when he puts his mind to taking someone down. Chandler’s reactive speed and almost karate-like footwork allow his level changes decent cover in the open, but the 15-year pro seems to get into most of his grappling exchanges against the cage.
However, despite Chandler being the better wrestler on paper, Oliveira was the more active and offensive wrestler of the two.
Shortly after getting outwrestled by Frankie Edgar back at UFC 162, Oliveira worked diligently to improve that portion of his grappling game. Now, it’s not uncommon to see Oliveira outwrestling a decent amount of his contemporaries early and often (especially if he can get to any variation of a bodylock).
If Chandler does try to get offensive with his takedowns like some of us suspected last time out, then do not be surprised to see Oliveira revert to his home of front-choke counters.
Oliveira is masterful from most front-headlock variations, displaying the acumen to shift the dynamic of a position as he unleashes interweaving submission attempts as if he’s firing them off from an M-60 machine gun.
Luckily for Chandler, he’s got some underrated grappling skills and experience in his back pocket.
Linking up with high-level camps and catch wrestling coaches like Neil Melanson early on in his career, we have seen the former Mizzou Tiger show solid glimpses of a fine-tuned transitional grappler during parts of his evolution. From submission defense to the small details of fighting inside of someone’s guard, Chandler shows all the fundamentals from hand-fighting to head position, which, of course, opens up the opportunity for him to land his ferocious ground and pound.
Chandler is also not afraid to take backs that become available, but runs the risk of falling into the honeytrap of a high-paced fight should he allow things to get too wild.
Michael Chandler vs. Charles Oliveira odds
Charles Oliveira vs. Michael Chandler
The oddsmakers and the public are favoring the former UFC lightweight champion, listing Oliveira -265 and Chandler +200 via FanDuel.
Michael Chandler vs. Charles Oliveira prediction, pick
Despite this fight opening as a pick’em the first time around, I can understand why the odds are tilted in Oliveira’s favor.
Aside from being the more active fighter who won the first time around, it’s hard to be confident in Chandler given the intangibles of his current state.
From the letdown of spending the better part of the last two years waiting for Conor McGregor to the fact that he’s self-admittedly struggled to get back down to 155 pounds for this fight, I find myself flipping from the stance I had last time around.
Although I still believe that Chandler quietly has the tools to be one of the hardest matchups for Oliveira in this weight class, his hardwiring to fight at unsustainable breakneck paces turns things into a gambit that’s hard to get behind.
Not only does Chandler’s staying power get more suspect by the day, but I believe there have been some skills regressions in key areas that have only contributed to his problems.
Chandler’s striking defense, for example, took a serious hit after parting ways with then-boxing coach Gil Martinez before heading into his first career rematch with Eddie Alvarez.
A boxing coach whom I also trained under, Martinez was good about instilling in his fighters to always move their head after throwing punches (e.g. rolling heads off of crosses, etc.).
And sure enough, in Chandler’s rematch with Alvarez, we got some of our first glimpses of the natural disregard for defense that Chandler can have without the proper tools at his disposal.
Another troubling trend is that Chandler, who has some really good ground striking and underrated submission skills, has steadily gotten away from his grappling since parting ways with his longtime catch wrestling coach Neil Melanson prior to his UFC run. And with those two trends being huge for matchups like these, I find myself picking Oliveira this time around.
It’s a scary prediction to land on given that rematches seldom go the same way in MMA, but I’ll officially pick “Slim Charles” to keep his perfect rematch record alive by securing a club-and-sub in Round 2.
Prediction: Oliviera inside the distance
Michael Chandler vs. Charles Oliveira start time, where to watch
As the co-main event, Chandler and Oliveira are expected to make their walks to the octagon at approximately 11:45 p.m. ET. The fight airs live on pay-per-view via ESPN+.
In the sixth and final episode of UFC 309 “Embedded,” go behind the scenes with Jon Jones and other fighters at the weigh-ins.
The UFC is back in New York for UFC 309, and the popular “Embedded” fight week video series is here to document what’s happening behind the scenes.
UFC 309 (pay-per-view, ESPNews/Hulu/FX, ESPN+) takes place Saturday at Madison Square Garden in New York.
In the headliner, heavyweight champion [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] (27-1 MMA, 21-1 UFC) puts his title on the line for the first time when he takes on former champ [autotag]Stipe Miocic[/autotag] (20-4 MMA, 14-4 UFC) in a fight delayed by a year. In the co-feature, former lightweight champ [autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag] (34-10 MMA, 22-10 UFC) takes on [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag] (23-8 MMA, 2-3 UFC) after he was left at the altar by Conor McGregor.
The sixth and final episode of “Embedded” follows the featured fighters while they get ready for fight week. Here is the UFC’s description of the episode from YouTube:
Stipe Miocic plays Euchre with his team; Chris Weidman cuts weight with Kevin James; Charles Oliveira sheds his last few pounds; Athletes step on the scales for UFC 309’s Official Weigh-Ins; Paul Craig gets his war paint applied; The stars of UFC 309 step on a historic scale in Madison Square Garden for Ceremonial Weigh-Ins.
Join MMA Junkie Radio’s “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” for a live-streamed watch-along of UFC 309 in New York.
UFC 309 goes down Saturday night with a heavyweight championship showdown atop the bill, and MMA Junkie Radio’s “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” will host a live-streamed watch-along right here at 8 p.m. ET.
In the headliner, heavyweight champion Jon Jones (27-1 MMA, 21-1 UFC) puts his title on the line for the first time when he takes on former champ Stipe Miocic (20-4 MMA, 14-4 UFC) in a fight delayed by a year. In the co-feature, former lightweight champ Charles Oliveira (34-10 MMA, 22-10 UFC) takes on Michael Chandler (23-8 MMA, 2-3 UFC) after he was left at the altar by Conor McGregor.
UFC 309 takes place at Madison Square Garden in New York and streams on ESPN+ pay-per-view following prelims on ESPNews, ESPN+ and Hulu.
Below is the lineup of fights included in the watch-along
UFC 309 main card (pay-per-view, 10 p.m. ET)
Champ Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic – for heavyweight title
