In a whirlwind turn of events, Michael Chandler is ready to step back into the Octagon and settle some unfinished business. The 38-year-old veteran is making his long-awaited return, and if you ask him, the time off was exactly what he needed.
“The last two years for me have been all about growth and patience,” Chandler said. “Obviously, the Conor McGregor incident happened for me, not to me,” Chandler said. There were definitely moments when it was tough, but overall, as I sit here today, I look back on it and realize it was such a huge blessing for me.”
Chandler has been calling for rematches against Charles Oliveira and Justin Gaethje and even voiced his desire to face off against the notorious Conor McGregor at 170 pounds. After coaching season 31 of The Ultimate Fighter alongside McGregor, it appeared that Chandler’s wish had finally come true. However, an injury forced McGregor to withdraw just as the fight was about to conclude.
Undeterred, Chandler has now set his sights on a rematch with Oliveira, the man who handed him his last defeat back in 2022 for the lightweight title.
“As we pivoted, the UFC brought up Charles Oliveira,” Chandler said. “He needed a fight. He wants that title back. He is hungry for that title back. He is eager to regain the title shot, but they informed him that he must first overcome Michael Chandler.
Chandler’s rise to the top was a unique one, making his UFC debut at UFC 257 and then challenging for the title just four months later. But as he reflects on that fateful night against Oliveira, he sees a stark difference in the fighter he was then and the one he is now.
“I had two-and-a-half minutes of UFC experience at the time that I stepped inside the Octagon against Charles Oliveira,” Chandler said. “I was a 34-year-old salty veteran. I wasn’t new in the sport, but I was new to the UFC, and whether people know what that feels like or not, it was something different; it was something bigger, and I cracked under the pressure.”
Chandler’s Fight of the Year in Madison Square Garden against Gaethje and Poirier were historic fights after that loss. The fights he lost have only fueled his desire to fix things.
As for what fans can expect to see on Saturday night, Chandler promises a vintage performance.
“I do believe that I will be a different guy on Saturday night, but still the same old Michael Chandler, who is going to put you on the edge of your seat from bell to bell. I will steal the show at Madison Square Garden on November 16th.”
With a renewed sense of purpose and the lessons of the past two years behind him, Michael Chandler is ready to right the wrongs of his storied career and reclaim his spot among the elite of the lightweight division.