UFC 309 fighters Jon Jones, Stipe Miocic, Charles Oliveira, Michael Chandler and more will attend Thursday’s pre-fight press conference.
NEW YORK – The UFC 309 pre-fight press conference takes place Thursday, and you can watch a live stream of the event in the video above.
The press conference takes place at The Theatre at MSG, attached to Madison Square Garden, which hosts Saturday’s fight card (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPNews, ESPN+).
UFC 309 is built around the return of two of the most decorated fighters in UFC history. Heavyweight champion [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] (27-1 MMA, 21-1 UFC) makes history comeback for the first time in 20 months, while former titleholder [autotag]Stipe Miocic[/autotag] (20-4 MMA, 14-4 UFC) sees action following a nearly 44-month layoff. And in the co-main event, former lightweight champ [autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag] (34-10 MMA, 22-10 UFC) rematches [autotag]Michael Chandle[/autotag]r (23-8 MMA, 2-3 UFC).
Here’s what you need to know about the UFC 309 press conference.
What time does the UFC 309 press conference start?
The UFC 309 press conference starts at 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT.
Who’s taking part in the UFC 309 press conference?
Six of the the 10 fighters scheduled in main card bouts are slated to participate in the UFC 309 press conference: Jones, Miocic, Oliveira, Chandler, Bo Nickal and Paul Craig.
UFC CEO Dana White will oversee the UFC 309 pre-fight press conference.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 309.
In the fourth installment of UFC 309 ‘Embedded,’ Charles Oliveira is convinced he’ll find The Ninja Turtles in New York.
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 fourth 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:
Champ Jon Jones gets a haircut before heading to New York; Stipe Miocic arrives in New York for UFC 309; Charles Oliveira goes sight-seeing and visits his old gym; Athletes begin their check-ins for UFC 309; Bo Nickal attends the Rangers hockey game.
Watch Charles Oliveira and Michael Chandler’s first meeting ahead of their rematch Saturday at UFC 309.
If you want to get hyped for [autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag] 2, look no further than their first meeting in 2021.
In May 2021, Oliveira (34-10 MMA, 22-10 UFC) and Chandler (23-8 MMA, 2-3 UFC) put on one of the best lightweight title fights in UFC history, going toe-to-toe for a little over five action-packed minutes in the main event of UFC 262. After a rocky start, Oliveira put away Chandler in the end to become the new UFC lightweight champion.
Oliveira and Chandler rematch Saturday in the co-main event of UFC 309 – which takes place at Madison Square Garden in New York. Oliveira is coming off a close, title eliminator bout loss to Arman Tsarukyan in April. Meanwhile, Chanlder looks to bounce off a submission loss to Dustin Poirier.
Check out their 2021 championship fight in the video above.
Michael Chandler thinks a UFC lightweight title shot is in his future after Saturday, but Charles Oliveira begs to differ.
NEW YORK – Michael Chandler thinks a lightweight title shot is in his future after Saturday, but his opponent begs to differ about that outlook.
Chandler (23-8 MMA, 2-3 UFC) takes on former champion [autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag] in the UFC 309 (pay-per-view, ESPNews/Hulu/FX, ESPN+) co-main at Madison Square Garden, and Wednesday he all but predicted he’d be next in line for a shot at the 155-pound belt with a win over the Brazilian.
Oliveira (34-10 MMA, 22-10 UFC) never lost the lightweight title. He was stripped of it ahead of a defense against Justin Gaethje when he failed to make weight and missed his shot to reclaim it when he lost to current champ Islam Makhachev, considered one of the world’s top pound-for-pound fighters.
Oliveira also has the benefit of a past fight with Chandler on his resume – which he won with a knockout early in the second round. How Chandler sees things going differently perplexes Oliveira. He also thinks his approach to rematches plays in his favor.
“That one has passed. We’re focused on this one right now,” Oliveira said through an interpreter at UFC 309 media day on Wednesday. “That was experience. He’s trying to prove he can beat me. I’m trying to prove I can beat him again. Let’s put that in the past and focus on this one.
“The plan is always to get better. That’s why we go back to the gym – to improve. You work on things you need to. I lost to Jim Miller, I went back, then went out there and beat him. Michael Chandler, I know I beat him. But I’m always getting better.”
Oliveira is more than a 2-1 betting favorite in the fight. Chandler is making his return after a lengthy layoff that included a promised fight against Conor McGregor that never materialized. That, plus Oliveira’s past win over him no doubt plays into the odds.
Since he came to the UFC, the 38-year-old former Bellator champion is 2-3. His most recent win was in May 2022 against Tony Ferguson, who has lost eight straight fights.
“He wants to be a champion for the first time. I want to be the champion again,” Oliveira said. “The champion of the lightweight division has a name – we know this. I beat Michael Chandler once. I’m going to beat Michael Chandler again.
“I think a lot of people come and talk. Everybody comes here and says the same things. They talk the talk. They say they have plans about things, or they’re going to do something. But you have to come here and do things. This is a magical stage – a great place to be with the energy of the crowd. I’m going to be in this fight pushing forward, charging forward.”
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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 309.
In the third installment of UFC 309 “Embedded,” Jon Jones offers a stern retort to Stipe Miocic’s name calling on “Countdown.”
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 third 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 runs some final fight week errands before hitting pads; Charles Oliveira says goodbye to his family before heading to New York; Michael Chandler trains at the hotel and goes to GMA; Jim Miller rings the New York Stock Exchange bell; Jon Jones has boxing practice.
Will Michael Chandler become the No. 1 contender at lightweight if he avenges his loss to Charles Oliveira at UFC 309? He thinks so.
NEW YORK – [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag] sees himself as the soon-to-be No. 1 contender in the UFC lightweight division.
That’s right, Chandler, a former Bellator champion and UFC title challenger, believes he’ll become the top contender at 155 pounds once he avenges his loss to [autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag] in the co-main event of UFC 309.
Despite coming off a loss and being two years away from competition, Chandler (23-8 MMA, 2-3 UFC) believes he’s in a good position and strongly believes he’s fighting for a UFC title shot on Saturday.
“I’m just happy I’m in this position, and I don’t even have a fraction of the number of UFC fights Poirier had or Charles has, or some of these other guys, but I’ve been in the UFC long enough and fought the toughest guys,” Chandler told reporters on Wednesday at the UFC 309 media day. “I obviously knocked out Dan Hooker, but now he’s ranked ahead of me because he’s had a resurgence. It’s the most violent and exciting division in the UFC, and I’m so blessed to be a part of it.
“On Saturday night, I will be very blessed to be the highest ranked guy in it not named Arman Tsarukyan or Islam Makhachev, and solidify myself as the No. 1 contender.”
‘Not afraid of letting all my chips on the table’
Chandler and Oliveira (34-10 MMA, 22-10 UFC) first fought in May 2021 for the vacant UFC lightweight title. That night in Texas, after a thrilling back-and-forth, Oliveira stopped Chandler in the second round. Now three years later, Islam Makhachev is the one that holds the UFC lightweight title and is expected to defend it against Tsarukyan in early 2025.
Chandler knows that fight is up next and expects to be the one after should he beat Oliveira. He’s unsure how things will play out given the different schedule but wouldn’t mind revisiting an old matchup.
“It depends on how it all plays out,” Chandler said. “I’ve laid out my road map on the mic, on camera. You obviously still got the Conor fight. That’s a possibility depending on when he gets his house in order and when he comes back, and when all that stuff gets figured out. I think it’s a fight that Conor wants. It’s a fight that I want. We need to finish ‘TUF 31,’ so that could be something that happens in between.
“I’m a guy who wants to lay all my chips on the table at times. I’m not afraid of letting all my chips on the table and bet on myself to say, ‘Hey, I already secured a title shot, but now Conor is coming back, you want to take that before you fight for the title and possibly take a chance on losing it?’ We’ll see what happens. I’m not saying yes to that. I’m not saying no to that. I also don’t know if I want to be off from November all the way to June, July or whenever it may be. I just spent two years on the sidelines. … We’ll see how it plays out.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 309.
In the second episode of UFC 309 “Embedded,” Charles Oliveira tends to his farm and explains why it means so much to him.
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 second 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:
Champ Jon Jones has lunch; Charles Oliveira gets a haircut and tends to his farm; Michael Chandler arrives in New York and trains; Stipe Miocic has a recovery session; Chris Weidman plays poker with his friends.
The UFC is back in New York, which means Chris Weidman gets to fight at home and doesn’t have to travel – opening the door for yard work.
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 first 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:
Heavyweight champ Jon Jones arrives in Las Vegas and goes to UFC Fight Night; Bo Nickal is kicking it with his team; Charles Oliveira trains in Brazil; Michael Chandler has oxygen therapy at home; Chris Weidman does yard work; Stipe Miocic has a pasta dinner with his family.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 309.
Check out the UFC 309 “Countdown” main event video preview for Michael Chandler vs. Charles Oliveira.
Did you miss the debut of UFC 309 “Countdown” or just want to watch it again? Check out the co-main event preview now.
The segment takes a special look at the lightweight fight between [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag] (23-8 MMA, 2-3 UFC) and former champion [autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag] (34-10 MMA, 22-10 UFC).
UFC 309 (pay-per-view, ESPNews/Hulu/FX, ESPN+) takes place Saturday at Madison Square Garden in New York. “Countdown” goes behind the scenes with the two fighters, and you can watch the full segment above. And don’t miss the entire episode in the video below.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 309.
Charles Oliveira gave some insight on Islam Makhachev’s projected title defense vs. Arman Tsarukyan.
[autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag] gave some insight on [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag]’s projected title defense vs. [autotag]Arman Tsarukyan[/autotag].
Lightweight champion Makhachev (26-1 MMA, 15-1 UFC) is expected to make his next title defense against Tsarukyan (22-3 MMA, 9-2 UFC) on Jan. 18 at UFC 311, although nothing is confirmed.
“I’ve told everyone: I think I wasn’t there (against Makhachev). I didn’t fight Islam,” Oliveira told New York Post Sports through an interpreter.
If Tsarukyan is indeed next for Makhachev, Oliveira sees similarities in their game. However, he’s leaning towards Makhachev to get the job done once again.
“They have very similar games, and I think each has to come and look out for the same things,” Oliveira said. “You have to watch out for the striking because they do offer some striking and they also have to be very mindful of the ground game.
“It’s very, very similar styles, and I think that they have to watch out for the same things from each other. I think Islam is a little step ahead of Arman. I think he’s just stronger by a little bit, but when push comes to shove, any of them could win.”
Oliveira runs things back with Michael Chandler (23-8 MMA, 2-3 UFC) Nov. 16 in the UFC 309 co-main event at Madison Square Garden in New York. Oliveira won their first bout by knockout to claim the vacant lightweight title at UFC 262.
