Charles Oliveira vs. Michael Chandler Set For Vacant UFC Lightweight Title
The UFC Lightweight Championship has been vacated.
Charles Oliveira vs. Michael Chandler is set to headline UFC 262 on May 15. The bout will be contested for the UFC 155-pound gold. UFC President Dana White had been trying to persuade the previous champion Khabib Nurmagomedov to hold off on retirement to no avail. With “The Eagle” officially riding off into the sunset, White has moved on.
ESPN’s Brett Okamoto revealed the title matchup on his Twitter account.
With UFC acknowledging Khabib Nurmagomedov is retired, Michael Chandler (@MikeChandlerMMA) and Charles Oliveira (@CharlesDoBronxs) will fight for the lightweight championship at UFC 262 on May 15. End of an era. Start of a new chapter at 155. pic.twitter.com/he6cEEg5n0
— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) March 19, 2021
“With UFC acknowledging Khabib Nurmagomedov is retired, Michael Chandler and Charles Oliveira will fight for the lightweight championship at UFC 262 on May 15. End of an era. Start of a new chapter at 155.”
Oliveira sits at the number three spot on the official UFC Lightweight Rankings. He is riding an eight-fight winning streak. In his last outing back in December, Oliveira scored the biggest win of his pro MMA career, defeating Tony Ferguson via unanimous decision.
Chandler made his UFC debut in January. The former Bellator Lightweight Champion earned a first-round TKO victory over Dan Hooker. With the emphatic debut, Chandler was quickly slotted in the number four position on the UFC Lightweight rankings.
FIGHT SPORTS will keep you posted on the latest UFC 262 updates once they become available.