Charles Oliveira and Michael Chandler brought back their sensational fight for the second time at UFC 309, conducted at New York City’s Madison Square Garden. Before they met in the co-main event, although it was no less an exciting fight, the fight went the distance. The pair previously faced off at UFC 262 in May 2021, where Oliveira secured a second-round TKO victory in a thrilling exchange. This time, Oliveira proved himself highly skilled, physically fit, and wise enough to defeat his opponent for the win by unanimous decision and establish himself as the king of the lightweight division.
A Strong Start By Charles Oliveira
The fight started as Charles Oliveira looked to stay dominant at the center of the octagon. Both fighters were feeling each other out in the opening round, with Olivera scoring first with a front kick and a counter right hand to Chandler. Chandler barely escaped Oliveira’s grip but was taken down by Oliveira, who targeted Chandler’s leg on the ground. Michael Chandler kept busy from the bottom throwing short punches, but it was clear that Oliveira was able to control the fight. The fight concluded in the first round, and the judge’s scorecards had Oliveira in a better position.
Charles Oliveira was more proactive in the second stanza, having a hard leg kick and clean punches, which forced Chandler into a shell. Chandler’s counters were answered by constant pressure from Charles Oliveira, who landed a knee and a takedown before the midway point of the round. On the ground, Oliveira took the back and mounted Chandler to then land some clean elbows reinforcing his dominance. The second round devastated further, with Oliveira using great striking and controlling the fight on the ground.
Chandler Shows Heart As Charles Oliveira Maintains Control
The third round was the evidence of the champion’s heart that was shown when he landed stiff jabs and powerful punches. He countered it with an uppercut and clinched to stem Chandler’s attack. The next takedown was from Oliveira, grabbing the back of Chandler and locking his body. Chandler performed well on the ground, but Oliveira showed his evolution on the ground as well as the new legalization of 10-6 elbows.
Oliveira had his back against the wall in the fourth round, Chandler came back powerfully, hitting Oliveira to feel his punches, but Charles Oliveira was able to clinch onto Chandler and get back into position. Chandler was back to the ground after the takedown from Oliveira, and the Brazilian got back to his feet only to take him down once again. Against Chandler’s furious scrambles, Oliveira kept the fight on the ground, tried for submissions, and went for some armbar strikes, but Chandler again displayed brilliant takedown defense.
Oliveira Holds On For the Decision
In the final round, Chandler banged, which hurt Charles Oliveira and put him on the ropes. Oliveira never surrendered that control to grappling and scored takedowns to take Chandler back to the mat and regain control. Chandler was aggressive all through the fight, but it was the ground and pound by Charles Oliveira and the constant pressure that saw him win through the unanimous decision with scores of 49-46, 49-46, and 49-45. This victory also solidifies the position of his career in the lightweight division as an elite fighter who can adapt himself to high-pressure games.
Conclusion
A moment, a memory, showed that Oliveira is a genuinely tough contender who possesses a kind of skill set and never backs down. While the spot-on effort from Chandler was evident as much as the flashes of sheer excellence from him, it was the ground control and positioning, the clinch tying, and the submission savvy of the Brazilian that decided the contest in his favor. Thus, this performance strengthens Charles Oliveira’s position as one of the main contenders in the lightweight division and makes him ready for further great fights.
