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Michael Chandler has explained how he will defeat Charles Oliveira to become the undisputed UFC lightweight champion. Chandler has suggested that he’ll likely beat Oliveira via KO in the very first round.
Former Bellator lightweight champion and reputable MMA veteran Michael Chandler made his highly anticipated UFC debut earlier this year. Chandler’s debut matchup in the UFC witnessed him secure a first-round TKO win over top-tier lightweight Dan Hooker. Michael Chandler was later scheduled to fight for the UFC lightweight title at UFC 262.
During an interview on The Pat McAfee Show, Michael Chandler shed light upon his upcoming fight and a few other topics. Chandler stated:
“Yeah, I mean, honestly, for me, it’s a guy who’s my same weight class with two arms and two legs who I have competed against now 27 times in mixed martial arts and a thousand times in wrestling. Hand-to-hand combat, I’ve been doing it now for 21 years. So, the basics don’t really change. My strengths, my attributes, and some of my weaknesses, I can’t change. I can constantly work on them and get better. But we know what Charles Oliveira brings to the table. He’s on an eight-fight win streak. He’s got the most submission wins in UFC history. So, he’s dangerous on the ground. He’s dangerous in grappling and jiu-jitsu exchanges, but I believe my wrestling background and my sixth sense that I have in those grappling exchanges is gonna keep me out and thwart all those attacks.”
“So, get in his face early, make him second-guess why he stepped inside the octagon with me right away, get him backing up, go to the head, go to the body, go high, go low, keep him guessing, smoke and mirrors, and then knock him out in the first (round).”
Upon being asked by podcast co-host AJ Hawk whether 'Iron' Mike could finish the fight via KO in round one or wear Charles Oliveira out and make him wilt, Michael Chandler said –
“I mean, you know, the funny thing is like – obviously speaking to athletes like yourself – a lot of times cardio has nothing to do with your preparation. It has everything to do with your mind, everything to do with your heart rate, everything you do with what’s going on inside your body.”
“A couple of different exchanges, a little bit of self-doubt, a little bit of disbelief plummets the cardio really quickly. So, that’s part of the mental warfare that will in turn pay dividends in the physical realm. But, yeah, I also believe, I mean, I’ve been in championship fights half of my career it seems like. I’ve fought 25 minutes multiple times. Charles Oliveira has never done that.” (*H/T Sportskeeda for the transcription)
Michael Chandler emphasized that he truly believes he can and will defeat Charles Oliveira and become the new undisputed UFC lightweight champion.
Michael Chandler vs. Charles Oliveira will crown a new UFC lightweight king:
Longtime UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov announced his retirement from the sport of MMA in October 2020. The UFC and Nurmagomedov came to terms with his retirement in March 2021.
Resultantly, the UFC lightweight title was declared vacant, and the UFC booked a fight between Charles Oliveira and Michael Chandler to determine the division’s new champion. Oliveira is ranked number three, whereas Chandler is number four in the UFC lightweight rankings.
The five-round lightweight title bout between Michael Chandler and Charles Oliveira will headline UFC 262 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas, on May 15th, 2021.
