Tag: Michael Chandler

With Conor McGregor off the table (for now), Michael Chandler’s UFC title aspirations amplify

Conor McGregor is officially in Michael Chandler’s rear-view now that he’s got another fight booked, but is McGregor completely out of the picture?

Conor McGregor is officially in [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag]’s rear-view now that he’s got another fight booked, but is McGregor completely out of the picture?

After putting his career on hold for nearly two years while he waited for the McGregor fight to materialize, Chandler finally moved on earlier this month when he signed on to meet Charles Oliveira at UFC 309 on Nov. 16 from Madison Square Garden. The fight, a rematch of their 2021 vacant lightweight title bout won by Oliveira, is scheduled for five rounds and will serve as the co-main event to the heavyweight title match between champion Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic.

It wasn’t necessarily easy for Chandler (23-8 MMA, 2-3 UFC) to move on from what would’ve been a very lucrative showdown with the UFC’s biggest star in McGregor, but the former Bellator champion is comfortable with his current situation.

“I think I’ve now been put in a position with a No. 1 contender fight,” Chandler told MMA Junkie Radio on Thursday. “I still believe UFC gold and the No. 1 next to my name, or actually the “C” next to my name, is gonna happen in 2025.”

“C” as in champion is what Chandler means. Because the way he sees it, beating Oliveira wouldn’t just be exacting a measure of revenge. It would also put him at the top of the queue for a UFC lightweight title shot despite losing three of his past four.

In that sense, Chandler is perfectly at ease with his decision to move on from McGregor and believes fate might’ve intervened.

“I wasn’t willing to wait anymore, and Charles Oliveira is the perfect opponent, No. 1 contender fight, five rounds, co-main event, Madison Square Garden under Jon Jones vs. Stipe,” Chandler said. “It’s a huge opportunity. And honestly it keeps going through my mind that this is the way it was always supposed to be. I was supposed to lose to Charles in that first time I got the chance to fight for UFC gold, only to beat him in the rematch to become the No. 1 contender and then go beat … one of the greatest of all time already in Islam. And I believe that’s what’s going to happen.”

But McGregor still lurks, recently saying he wants to fight Chandler after the two of them were set to headline UFC 303 until McGregor broke his toe about a month before the event. Chandler isn’t holding a grudge against McGregor, with whom he coached against on Season 31 of “The Ultimate Fighter” last year, and still believes the fight could be made.

“For as much flack as the guy gets, you’ve still got to give the guy respect,” Chandler said. “I do believe that he likes the fight. I do believe that he and I have some unfinished business. … I think it’s a fight that he wants. It’s obviously the fight that I want. As I said, Conor McGregor is not my next opponent, but I am Conor McGregor’s next opponent.

“I do believe I beat Charles Oliveira on November 16th, and we’re gonna have some options – options to go fight Islam for the title, options to fight Conor if he’s got his house in order and it’s time for him to come back, Max Holloway for the BMF belt. There’s gonna be a lot of opportunities and a lot of options. I’m excited about it. It’s gonna be a big 2025 for the boy.”

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

REPLAY VIDEO: MMA Junkie Radio milestone Episode #3500 with big-name guests galore!

Celebrate MMA Junkie Radio’s 3,500th episode with “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” as they welcomed in a plethora of big-name guests.

Thursday’s episode of MMA Junkie Radio is like no other!

Hosts “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” celebrated their 3,500th episode with a special live stream of the show.

A plethora of big-name guests joined the show, including UFC stars of the past and present: [autotag]Jorge Masvidal[/autotag], [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag], [autotag]Randy Couture[/autotag], Chael Sonnen, [autotag]Rashad Evans[/autotag], [autotag]Gilbert Melendez[/autotag], [autotag]Ben Rothwell[/autotag], [autotag]Johny Hendricks[/autotag], and [autotag]Frank Trigg[/autotag]. Also joining the show were Xtreme Couture head coach Eric Nicksick, UFC reporter Megan Olivi, commedian/actor Joey Diaz, the legendary Burt Watson, as well as members of the MMA Junkie staff. Tune in!

You can watch the live stream of episode #3500 in the video above.

With Michael Chandler moving on, Dan Hooker campaigns for Conor McGregor fight

Dan Hooker thinks Conor McGregor has more to gain from fighting him than Michael Chandler.

[autotag]Dan Hooker[/autotag] thinks [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] has more to gain from fighting him than [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag].

McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) was slated to return against Chandler (23-8 MMA, 2-3 UFC), but after he withdrew from their UFC 303 booking in June, Chandler decided to move on. He runs things back with Charles Oliveira in the UFC 309 co-main event Nov. 16 in New York.

Chandler booking another fight left McGregor confused, as “The Notorious” still sees Chandler as a possibility for his return fight.  However, Hooker (24-12 MMA, 14-8 UFC) thinks Chandler no longer make sense for McGregor. “The Hangman” entered the UFC’s top five lightweight rankings with a win over Mateusz Gamrot at UFC 305.

“He’s without a fight,” Hooker told Submission Radio on McGregor. “I know Conor’s hungry to fight, and fight someone that he can get something from and makes a lot of sense. That’s why I feel like Chandler kind of sitting there and waiting, and not staying active, you kind of lose. What does he get out of beating Chandler? He knocks out Michael Chandler in the first round, Conor McGregor doesn’t even get in that top five off of that performance.”

Hooker is confused to see Chandler run things back with Oliveira (34-10 MMA, 22-10 UFC). He understands Chandler’s motivation to avenge his 2021 title loss, but doesn’t see much incentive for Oliveira.

He teased big news coming up for himself, too.

“I get why they kind of put that fight together,” Hooker said. “That’s a big fight for the division. But I don’t know – it’s a weird fight. I was kind of trying to justify the fight, but no, it’s just a weird fight.Yeah, that might be just because I might have something up my sleeve, as well Might have a little something in the fire there, but it must be good if I’m saying nothing.

“I get why Chandler would want the fight. Obviously, if he gets by Oliveira, the UFC has kind of promised him a title shot, I’m sure of it. I don’t know too much about what Charles will get out of it. At our level, when you’re at the top five, top six in the division, it’s any man’s day. All of these fights are a bit of a coin flip.”

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Ben Askren goes off on ‘addict’ Conor McGregor after Michael Chandler fight falls through

Ben Askren didn’t hold back on Conor McGregor: “This guy is out of control.”

[autotag]Ben Askren[/autotag] didn’t hold back on [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] after his fight with Michael Chandler officially fell through.

McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) was scheduled to return from a three-year layoff to face Chandler (23-8 MMA, 2-3 UFC) at UFC 303 in June but withdrew after breaking his pinky toe. Chandler exercised plenty of patience waiting for McGregor ever since they filmed Season 31 of “The Ultimate Fighter” in early 2023, but he finally decided to move on and will run it back with Charles Oliveira in the UFC 309 co-main event Nov. 16 in New York.

Askren believes McGregor’s lifestyle choices are to blame for why he’s yet to return to the octagon.

“It’s pretty obvious to me that Conor McGregor is an addict,” Askren said on his “Funky and the Champ” show with Daniel Cormier. “And he is rich enough that it doesn’t really have a hugely negative impact on his life. Everyone kind of lets him do what he wants to do, but this guy clearly is out partying, can’t show up for training camp. And then because he can’t show up for training camp, he can’t get ready to fight. There’s videos of him partying constantly. And listen, if you’re rich and famous and you’re not murdering anyone or anything worse where you’re going to go to jail, I guess fine, whatever. Go live your life.

“But he did kind of drag on that he was going to fight for two years. So it’s really annoying, but I was on record saying he’s not fighting in 2023. I was on record saying Michael Chandler should move on and just say, ‘Hey, you’re not a serious fighter anymore, you’re an addict and you can’t train.’ I’ve said that many times. …Probably both (drugs and alcohol). I don’t know that I can make any pronouncements without actually seeing him do it, but I’ve watched videos enough to know that this guy is out of control, he’s partying constantly, and from all rumors, he’s on multiple substances.”

Dana White was never confident in a McGregor comeback in 2024 after he pulled out of UFC 303. However, McGregor remains perplexed by his delayed return, claiming that he’s been frequently drug tested and is ready to fight.

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

Video: Michael Chandler finally gives up on Conor McGregor fight. Right call?

Michael Chandler is FINALLY booked for a fight, and it’s not against Conor McGregor. We discuss on “Spinning Back Clique.”

After almost two years, [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag] has decided to move on from his fight against [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag].

You read that right. Chandler (23-8 MMA, 2-3 UFC) is officially done waiting for McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) after he was booked to rematch Charles Oliveira in the co-main event of UFC 309 in November. It was one of several bouts announced for the event headlined by a heavyweight title fight between champion Jon Jones and challenger Stipe Miocic.

Did Chandler make the right call by moving on from the McGregor fight? How will he fare against Oliveira (34-10 MMA, 22-10 UFC)?

MMA Junkie’s Farah Hannoun, Mike Bohn, Danny Segura, and host Gorgeous George discuss the latest with Chandler, as well as the Jones vs. Miocic bout headlining UFC 309.

Watch their discussion in the video above, and don’t miss this week’s complete episode of “Spinning Back Clique” below on YouTube.

https://youtube.com/live/3EgC1RE0PgU

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Michael Chandler says UFC 309 rematch with Charles Oliveira could lead to lightweight title shot

Michael Chandler sees himself fighting for the UFC lightweight title should he beat Charles Oliveira at UFC 309.

LAS VEGAS – It hasn’t been made official by the UFC, but [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag] is already calling his upcoming fight against [autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag] a No. 1 contender fight for the lightweight title.

Chandler (23-8 MMA, 2-3 UFC) is confident a win in his rematch against Oliveira (34-10 MMA, 22-10 UFC), which goes down in November at UFC 309, will get him a title shot at 155 pounds despite being 1-3 in his past four trips to the octagon.

“Here we are: Now I’m fighting Charles, No. 1 contender fight,” Oliveira told reporters at UFC 306. “I’ve always wanted to chase the title. That’s always been my goal. I beat Charles and if Conor can get his house in order, finally, then me and him can finish that. If not, I’ll go beat Islam (Makhachev).”

Chandler has been waiting for a fight against Conor McGregor to come to fruition for well over a year. He hasn’t fought since losing to Dustin Poirier in November 2022. To many’s surprise, the UFC recently announced Chandler was moving on from the McGregor bout and fighting Oliveira.

Both Chandler and Oliveira fought back in 2021 for the vacant UFC lightweight title. After a wild, back and forth affair, Oliveira stopped Chandler in the second round.

“Charles is that guy, man,” Chandler said. “I’ve got so much respect for him. I think he knows that, and I know he’s got respect for me. I want to compete against him. I’ve never been a guy that looks back and says, ‘I want that one back. I want to right that wrong,’ but when these rematches happen, I’m excited for them because I know the mistakes that I’ve made, I know where I was in my mind, and I’ve matured so much as a man and as a fighter since that fight in Houston, Texas.

“That’s part of it, too. Maybe this is the way it was supposed to be the entire time. Maybe I was supposed to lose to Charles to then have a redemption story to beat Charles and then get my title shot to finally become UFC champion and cement myself as the No. 1 guy in the world.”

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

Spinning Back Clique REPLAY: UFC 306 gets new champs at Sphere, Chandler gives up on McGregor, Jones-Miocic, more

On this week’s “Spinning Back Clique,” the panel discusses the results from UFC 306, the latest with Conor McGregor and much more.

Check out this week’s “Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly live show that takes a spin through the biggest topics in mixed martial arts.

This week’s panel of Farah Hannoun, Mike Bohn and Danny Segura will join host “Gorgeous” George Garcia live at 1 p.m. ET (10 a.m. PT) to discuss and debate the following topics:

  • UFC 306 is in the books, and both headlining champions lost their titles. [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag] and [autotag]Alexa Grasso[/autotag] lost dominant unanimous decisions to [autotag]Merab Dvalishvili[/autotag] and [autotag]Valentina Shevchenko[/autotag], respectively. Beyond that, several fighters had breakthrough performances, including [autotag]Diego Lopes[/autotag], who badly battered former two-time UFC title challenger [autotag]Brian Ortega[/autotag]. We’ll unpack the UFC’s debut at Sphere and all the technical magic that came with it.
  • The main event for the UFC’s return to Madison Square Garden in November was finally announced: a heavyweight title fight between [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] and [autotag]Stipe Miocic[/autotag] was made official by the promotion. Accompanying Jones-Miocic at UFC 309, a lightweight bout pitting [autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag] against [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag] was also announced. We break down both matchups and discuss what’s at stake.
  • Finally, with Chandler fighting Oliveira, this leaves the question: What is going to happen with [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag]? McGregor and Chandler were linked to fight for more than a year, and yet that fight never came to fruition, despite a failed booking and the two participating on last year’s season of “The Ultimate Fighter.” McGregor reacted to the news and said that he’s been ready, but feels he’s been kept “out of the loop.” What is going on? We discuss.

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Michael Chandler not mad at Conor McGregor over UFC career holdup, confident fight happens in 2025

Michael Chandler still believes he’ll be the one to welcome back Conor McGregor to the UFC.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag] has been though a lot in recent years, yet, he remains fully positive even if things didn’t pan out the way he wanted them.

Chandler (23-8 MMA, 2-3 UFC), a former Bellator champion and current top UFC contender, is closing in on two years away from the sport due to hold-ups and postponements of a fight with [autotag]Conor McGregor [/autotag] that never came to fruition.

Chandler was always game to fight and remained training for the bout against the Irish superstar, but in the end, he had to move on and now finds himself booked in a rematch against Charles Oliveira in November at UFC 309.

Despite spending almost two, key years of his prime on the sidelines waiting for McGregor, Chandler doesn’t hold against grudges against him.

“No, I’m not going to let another man control my emotions and let another man control my life,” Chandler told reporters at UFC 306. “Over the last year and a half, it’s been an up and down of craziness. You guys see the way he lives his life, you guys see the Tweets, you guys see the media machine, and the constant attention that Conor is. And me, being the guy on the other side, I’m just a quieter guy by nature when it comes to not trying to put myself on the headlines nonstop and not trying to put myself in the conversation all the time.

“I’m not mad at him at all. I wish Conor the best. He’s earned every right to be in the position that he is. He’s earned every right to do what he wants to do and operate the way he wants to operate.”

While some doubt if McGregor will ever fight again, Chandler is confident McGregor will not only return, but have his welcome back to the UFC against him.

“Conor McGregor is still not off the hook,” Chandler said. “Conor McGregor’s road back to the UFC still goes through Nashville, Tenn., and Michael Chandler. We must finish “TUF 31.” It has to happen. We’re at the same weight class. It was too long of a buildup for it not to happen.”

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

Charles Oliveira vs. Michael Chandler 2: Odds and what to know ahead of UFC 309 co-main event

Once a betting favorite over Conor McGregor, Michael Chandler now heads into his UFC 309 rematch vs. Charles Oliveira as a clear underdog.

[autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag] opted to stop waiting for [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] to return and accepted a rematch with former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira, who beat him by second-round knockout in their first meeting in a vacant title bout at UFC 262 in May 2021.

Charles Oliveira vs. Michael Chandler preview

In the wake of Khabib Nurmagomedov’s retirement and vacancy of the 155-pound belt in late 2020, the promotion put together a vacant title bout between Oliveira and Chandler to determine a new champion. It was a back-and-forth first round, but then the Brazilian came out early in Round 2 and landed big shots en route to the finish by strikes.

Oliveira would go to run the division for several fights before Islam Makhachev took the reigns, and is looking to get back in the title mix by beating Chandler again to rebound from his UFC 300 loss to Arman Tsarukyan.

Chandler, meanwhile, will return to the venue he most recently competed in – a submission loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 281 – more than two years after he last fought. The former three-time Bellator champion patiently waited for McGregor through a coaching stint on “The Ultimate Fighter” reality series and a canceled booking at UFC 303 in July, but decided he’d had enough and took the rematch with Oliveira instead.

Charles Oliveira vs. Michael Chandler odds

DraftKings released the opening odds for the rematch, in which Oliveira is a -218 betting favorite over Chandler, who is a +180 underdog.

How to watch Charles Oliveira vs. Michael Chandler at UFC 309

  • When: November 16
  • Where: Madison Square Garden, New York
  • Broadcast/streaming: ESPN+ pay-per-view

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

Michael Chandler explains decision to move on from Conor McGregor fight

After nearly two years of waiting for Conor McGregor, Michael Chandler explains why he’s now fighting Charles Oliveira at UFC 309.

It’s been over 22 months since [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag] fought in the UFC, largely due to waiting for [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] to compete.

Time’s up, and Chandler (23-8 MMA, 2-3 UFC) has officially moved on.

Friday, the former lightweight title challenger confirmed his next fight will take place at UFC 309 against former champion Charles Oliveira. It will be a rematch of their bout at UFC 262 in 2021, where Oliveira (34-10 MMA, 22-10 UFC) claimed the vacant lightweight title by finishing Chandler in the second round.

Chandler knows the risk of challenging Oliveira again but calls the decision “the ultimate bet on yourself.” In a pair of videos posted online, Chandler explained his reasoning.

“I think you guys have forgotten over the last year or so who Michael Chandler is,” Chandler said in a YouTube video. “From October of 2020, I signed with the organization in September, from October of 2020 to November of 2022, in a 25-month span, I did six training camps, one backup fight for the world title fight. Five fights in 25 months. Four Fight of the Night or Performance of the Night bonuses. Two Fight of the Year candidates, one Fight of the Year against Justin Gaethje, one KO of the Year against Tony Ferguson, one Debut of the Year against Dan Hooker.

“… That is why I’m taking the Charles Oliveira fight. Why? Because I took a quick little detour to chase this thing. The opportunity of ‘The Ultimate Fighter.’ … I got more promo, more eyeballs, more of everything in the last year and a half than I would have gotten with three fights, and now I get the opportunity to take a title run.”

When news of Chandler’s decision to take another fight reached McGregor, the Irishman issued a fiery tweet in response.

“Chander saw that takedown getting stuffed and mauled and officially dipped,” McGregor wrote on X (formerly Twitter).” Little Fat P*ssy.” I’m at the hard rock hotel Florida for the bare knuckle tonight. Got tested earlier today by DFSI. Give me my f*cking date!”

Undeterred by McGregor’s words but inspired to elaborate, Chandler posted another video on Instagram to issue a dismissive reply and further detail why he wants to keep fighting rather than wait for a fight that may never come.

“I’m not even going to respond to Conor’s stupid little tweet, acting like I dipped,” Chandler said in an Instagram video. “The simple fact of the matter is, you are the most unreliable human being that has ever graced mixed martial arts.

“So, what am I going to do? I’m going to fight Charles Oliveira. Why am I going to fight Charles Oliveira? Number one, it’s a badass fight. Number two, it’s a rematch. It’s a redemption story for me. The dude who already stole from me – rightfully so, in a fair fight – he stole my dreams, shattered my dreams of becoming UFC champion.”

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C_4SlUhPXBi/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

A victory over Oliveira would keep his name on the shortlist of UFC lightweight title challengers. Essentially, Chandler is confident the world would be his oyster if he gets his hand raised.

“Now I get the opportunity to fight Charles Oliviera, become the No. 1 contender, and then I’ve got options,” Chandler said. “If Conor can finally get his house in order, if he can finally string together a couple of sober days, string together a couple of days where he’s actually training and actually feeling good, and he can actually finally, finally make good on his promise of the greatest comeback in combat sports history, if he can finally pony up, then I will fight Conor after I dispatch of Charles Oliveira.

“Or, Islam Makhachev, you are next in 2025, and I will be the champion by the end of 2025.”

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