Tag: Michael Chandler

UFC 309 weigh-in results: Title fight official, but one fighter off the mark in New York

Check out the results from the official UFC 309 fighter weigh-ins.

NEW YORK – MMA Junkie was on scene and reporting live from Friday’s official UFC 309 fighter weigh-ins, where all but one fighter hit their marks on the scale.

In the main event, heavyweight champion [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] (27-1 MMA, 21-1 UFC) takes on former champ [autotag]Stipe Miocic[/autotag] (20-4 MMA, 14-4 UFC) in a long-awaited matchup. Jones was 237.6 pounds. Miocic will have a slight weight advantage at 248.6.

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). When he was champion, Oliveira missed weight for a title defense against Justin Gaethje and was stripped of the belt. He’s trying to work his way back to a title shot, and this time was on the mark at 155.6. Chandler, who was the first fighter to come to the scale, was the same.

To open the main card, James Llontop (14-4 MMA, 0-2 UFC) takes on Mauricio Ruffy (10-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) in a bout that was originally set for lightweight when Ruffy was fighting Charlie Campbell. Llontop stepped in on short notice and the fight was set for 165 pounds at a catchweight. But Llontop missed that limit on the scale by 1.2 pounds and was fined 20 percent of his purse.

The early weigh-ins took place at the UFC host hotel in New York and preceded the ceremonial weigh-ins for the fans, which take place at 5 p.m. ET at The Theater at MSG. The attached Madison Square Garden hosts Saturday’s event (pay-per-view, ESPNews/Hulu/FX, ESPN+).

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The full UFC 309 weigh-in results included:

MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view, 10 p.m. ET)

  • Champ Jon Jones (237.6) vs. Stipe Miocic (248.6) – for heavyweight title
  • Michael Chandler (155.6) vs. Charles Oliveira (155.6)
  • Paul Craig (186) vs. Bo Nickal (185.4)
  • Viviane Araujo (125.6) vs. Karine Silva (125.8)
  • James Llontop (166.2)* vs. Mauricio Ruffy (164.4) – 165-pound catchweight

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPNews/FX/Hulu, 8 p.m. ET)

  • Jonathan Martinez (135.8) vs. Marcus McGhee (135.6)
  • Eryk Anders (185.6) vs. Chris Weidman (186)
  • Damon Jackson (155.2) vs. Jim Miller (155.6)
  • David Onama (155.6) vs. Roberto Romero (155)

PRELIMINARY CARD (Hulu/ESPN+, 6 p.m. ET)

  • Jhonata Diniz (253.2) vs. Marcin Tybura (251)
  • Ramiz Brahimaj (170.2) vs. Mickey Gall (170.8)
  • Bassil Hafez (171) vs. Oban Elliott (170)
  • Veronica Hardy (125.8) vs. Eduarda Moura (125.2)

*Llontop missed the catchweight limit and was fined 20 percent of his purse.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 309.

UFC 309 weigh-in video: Charles Oliveira, Michael Chandler set for rematch

Charles Oliveira and Michael Chandler made their high-stakes rematch official at Friday’s UFC 309 official weigh-ins.

NEW YORK – [autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag] and [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag] made their high-stakes lightweight rematch official at Friday’s UFC 309 official weigh-ins.

Former champion Oliveira (34-10 MMA, 22-10 UFC) will attempt to rebound from a UFC 300 loss to Arman Tsarukyan when he takes on Chandler (23-8 MMA, 2-3 UFC), who returns from a well-documented two-year layoff, when they run it back in Saturday’s co-main event at Madison Square Garden (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPNews, ESPN+).

Oliveira won the first meeting with a second-round TKO of Chandler at UFC 262 in May 2021 to claim the interim 155-pound title, and a potential title shot on the line, both sides look well-prepared for the sequel.

Brazil’s Oliveira tipped the scale at 155.6 pounds. Chandler was the first fighter to the scale and was 155.6, as well.

Watch the video above to see Oliveira and Chandler make weight for their UFC 309 rematch.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 309.

Photos: UFC 309 pre-fight press conference from New York

Check out these photos from the UFC 309 press conference in New York City.

Check out these photos from the UFC 309 pre-fight press conference in New York, which featured [autotag]Dana White[/autotag], [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag], [autotag]Stipe Miocic[/autotag], [autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag], [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag], [autotag]Bo Nickal[/autotag], and [autotag]Paul Craig[/autotag]. (Photos by Per Haljestam for MMA Junkie)

UFC 309 full press conference faceoffs video: Charles Oliveira vs. Michael Chandler 2, more

In addition to main event, UFC 309 press conference faceoffs included Charles Oliveira vs. Michael Chandler and Bo Nickal vs. Paul Craig.

NEW YORK – The stars of UFC 309 main card athletes came face to face for the first time during fight week following Thursday’s pre-fight press conference.

With fight week festivities rolling on, the athletes for the card took the stage to answers questions from the media, then engaged in staredowns ahead of Saturday’s event, which takes place at Madison Square Garden (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPNews, ESPN+).

In addition to the Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic heavyweight championship main event, the anticipated five-round lightweight rematch between [autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag] and [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag], as well as the middleweight main card bout of [autotag]Bo Nickal[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Paul Craig[/autotag] was also in attendance and participated in faceoffs.

Watch the video above to see the full pre-fight press conference faceoffs ahead of UFC 309.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 309.

Michael Chandler doubts Dustin Poirier takes chance on rematch after UFC 309

Michael Chandler won’t set his sights on a potential rematch with Dustin Poirier.

NEW YORK – [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag] won’t set sights on a potential rematch with [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag].

Chandler’s most recent outing came in a submission loss to Poirier in at UFC 281 in November 2022. Poirier was unhappy with Chandler’s antics during the fight and accused him of being a dirty competitor.

Poirier (30-9 MMA, 22-8 UFC) has hinted at one last fight before retirement, but Chandler (23-8 MMA, 2-3 UFC) doesn’t see “The Diamond” risking a potential loss.

“Yeah, I mean, not really,” Chandler told reporters on fighting Poirier during Wednesday’s UFC 309 media day. “I mean, Dustin’s got a win over me. He’s never going to take the chance in one of his last couple of fights to put that on the line and lose to me and have that stain on him the rest of his life. So, I know that for sure.

Chandler runs things back with Charles Oliveira (34-10 MMA, 22-10 UFC) in a co-main event Saturday UFC 309 (pay-per-view, ESPNews/Hulu/FX, ESPN+) at Madison Square Garden in New York.

He has bigger plans than trying to avenge his loss against Poirier.

“I’m not really worried about it,” Chandler continued. “I will be ranked ahead of him Saturday night at midnight when I beat Charles Oliveira. We’ve got other options: Max for the BMF belt, Islam for the title obviously. You’ve still got the Conor fight, still got ‘TUF 31,’ finishing that which needs to be finished.

“We had a contract signed. There’s a lot of options for me, and I don’t think he’s necessarily one of them at all. Maybe someday we’ll squash the beef, probably not. I think we will at some point. Right now, we’re just two dudes in the same division looking towards the same thing.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 309.

UFC 309 ‘Embedded,’ No. 4: Charles Oliveira searches for the Ninja Turtles

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.

Previous UFC 309 ‘Embedded’ episodes

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 309.

Watch Charles Oliveira vs. Michael Chandler’s epic first battle ahead of UFC 309 rematch

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.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 309.

UFC 309 ‘Embedded,’ No. 3: ‘We’ll see who the b*tch is on Saturday night’

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.

Previous UFC 309 ‘Embedded’ episodes

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 309.

Michael Chandler expects to secure lightweight title shot with UFC 309 win

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.

UFC 309 ‘Embedded,’ No. 2: On the farm with Charles Oliveira

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.

Previous UFC 309 ‘Embedded’ episodes

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 309.