UFC 262 fight card primer: Oliveira vs Chandler
Get up to date on the main event of UFC 262 between Charles Oliveira and Michael Chandler.
The main event of UFC 262 will feature a vacant lightweight title between top contenders Charles Oliveira (30-8, 1NC MMAl 18-8, 1NC UFC) and Michael Chandler (22-5 MMA, 1-0 UFC). UFC 262: Oliveira vs. Chandler airs live from the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas this Saturday, May 15th. The main card will start with a fight time of 10:00 p.m. ET / 7.00 p.m. PT, with the ESPN+ prelims beginning at 8:00 p.m. and the early prelims kicking off at 6:30 PM ET/3:30 PM PT.
How do these two stack up?
Oliveira: 31 years old | 5’10” | 74” reach
Chandler: 35 years old | 5’8” | 71” reach
What have these two done recently?
Oliveira: W - Tony Ferguson (DEC) | W - Kevin Lee (SUB) | W - Jared Gordon (KO)
Chandler: W - Dan Hooker (TKO) | W - Benson Henderson (KO) | W - Sidney Outlaw (KO)
How did these two get here?
After over ten years in the UFC, Charles Oliveira will fight for a title for the first time. ‘Do Bronx’ started his stint in the promotion with a mixed run of wins and losses, only hitting his solid run of form in 2018. Eight consecutive finishes against the likes of Kevin Lee and Jim Miller saw Oliveira fight Tony Ferguson last December. Oliveira outclassed Ferguson to win a one-sided decision and will hope to extend his unbeaten run against Chandler.
The stars have aligned for Michael Chandler. Chandler instantly became a top contender at 155-pounds following his stoppage win against Dan Hooker in his promotional debut. When Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier agreed to a trilogy fight for this summer, it seemed plausible that Chandler would be fighting for a title in just his second UFC appearance. With three first round KO’s in his last three fights, Chandler’s power will surely be a big task for Oliveira to deal with.
Why should you care?
The fight will mark the first new UFC lightweight champion since Khabib Nurmagomedov won the title three years ago. It will also be a fascinating fight stylistically.