It took nearly two years, but Michael Chandler finally (albeit temporarily) moved on from the Conor McGregor fight. The announcement of his UFC 309 bout against Charles Oliveira was shocking to many. Did Chandler make the right call? Is the reward for fighting the Brazilian worth the risk? Chandler thinks so, and for good reason, too.

Michael Chandler was ecstatic when he was chosen to welcome Conor McGregor back into the Octagon. Coaching TUF 31 against each other, the stage was set big and it seemed inevitable that both fighters were on a collision course. What Chandler didn’t expect was for ‘The Notorious’ to keep him waiting, and out of action for two years. So the allure of avenging his loss against Charles Oliveira at UFC 309 in his second UFC appearance at MSG was good enough for ‘Iron.’

Michael Chandler lists the perks of fighting Charles Oliveira at UFC 309

Speaking to New York Sports, Michael Chandler said the following, “I knew that Conor McGregor was going to be rebooked pretty quick or it wasn’t and I was going to go fight someone else. And now here we are, this opportunity – this huge opportunity against Charles Oliveira. [The] No.1 contender fight, co-main event, five rounds on the Jon Jones vs Stipe [card] in Madison Square Garden, the world’s most iconic arena.”

The 23-8 lightweight star added, “It’s not the Conor fight but if you could think of a next best thing, this is probably it. And now we are working towards the title.” He is not wrong. Oliveira is ranked #2, just behind Arman Tsarukyan, in the lightweight UFC rankings. A win puts Chandler in a position to challenge the winner of Islam Makhachev vs. Araman Tsarukyan. It also makes him all the more attractive to Conor McGregor, since the #2 spot (or most certainly a top 5 spot) would be up for grabs if he fights and beats Chandler.

The Nashville, Tennessee resident lost his top 5 spot waiting for McGregor. This fight can get him back amongst the 155 lbs division’s elite. Interestingly enough, Chandler will be making his return at the same arena where he last fought (against Dustin Poirier), and lost – Madison Square Garden. It’s only fitting that he gets to redeem two of his past losses in one move. So, yeah, this is probably the next best thing to a McGregor fight.

Michael Chandler’s UFC 262 fight with Charles Oliveira showed us one thing – Chandler is not afraid of getting into a firefight. Despite winning the first round of their title bout, Chandler couldn’t stave off a prime Oliveira. A short left hook sent ‘Iron’ tumbling towards the cage, where ‘do Bronx’ cornered him and landed vicious ground and pound. Three years cut off from that fight and at the cusp of redemption, Chandler seems excited to face his former foe.

The former Bellator Champion has not stopped training even though UFC 303 was canceled. All that training was not for nothing, as he has an opportunity to avenge a loss and move closer to a lightweight title. True to his namesake, he was recently seen pumping iron in the gym, making sure he’s in the best possible shape for November 16th.

Fans skeptical of Michael Chandler’s ‘bodybuilder-like physique’ ahead of his UFC 309 fight

Michael Chandler looks like he’s in prime shape ahead of his much-awaited rematch against Charles Oliveira. Sharing a few pictures from his training camp, Iron was seen wearing a singlet and sporting an absolutely shredded physique. Despite being one of the shorter fighters at 5’8″, Chandler has incredible speed and power that could put out any top opponent on a good day.

Reacting to his post, however, fans were a little skeptical about his physique. Pointing out that being shredded doesn’t equate to winning fights, one fan wrote, “MMA isn’t a bodybuilding contest. Charles in 2 [rounds],”. Another fan pointed out that musculature isn’t a big component in the face of skill, with the following comment – “All that matters is his jaw and brain lol.” Finally, one user showed concern for the former Bellator champion facing ‘do Bronx’ with – “I’m so anxious for [you], brother.”

Fans might be fearful because despite showing up in top form, Chandler lost emphatically to Oliveira in their first bout. Some fans even spoke about fight IQ and hoped that he was working on his fight strategy as much as he was carving out his physique. With less than two weeks left for UFC 309, Michael Chandler is all set to face the ever-dangerous Charles ‘do Bronx’ Oliveira. Who do you think wins the rematch? Let us know in the comments below.