MMAOB staff writer Adam Martin takes a deeper look at the main event of UFC 262, a five-round vacant UFC lightweight title bout between Charles Oliveira and Michael Chandler. The event takes place on Saturday, May 15 at Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.
Charles Oliveira (-130)
Oliveira (30-8, 1 NC) is the No. 3 ranked lightweight in the UFC. The 31-year-old Brazilian has been in the UFC since 2010 and he has racked up an overall record of 18-8, 1 NC in the Octagon over the years while competing at both 145lbs and 155lbs. Some of his most notable wins include Tony Ferguson, Kevin Lee, Jim Miller, Clay Guida, Will Brooks, and Jeremy Stephens, with notable losses to the likes of Paul Felder, Cub Swanson, Frankie Edgar, Donald Cerrone, Max Holloway, and Ricardo Lamas. Oliveira is one of the greatest grapplers we have ever seen in the UFC as he holds the record for most tapout wins in the Octagon with 16 submission wins. In addition to his incredible ground game, Oliveira has really improved his striking over the years. He has won his last eight fights in a row and a win over Chandler would earn Oliveira the first title of his UFC career.
Michael Chandler (+110)
Chandler (22-5) is the No. 4 ranked lightweight in the UFC. The 35-year-old American made his Octagon debut earlier this year at UFC 257 when he finished Dan Hooker. Before joining the UFC, Chandler was a three-time lightweight champion in Bellator and he defeated the likes of Eddie Alvarez, Benson Henderson, and Patricky Pitbull, to name a few, with notable losses to Alvarez, Will Brooks, Brent Primus, and Patricio Pitbull. Chandler came from a wrestling background and he is a strong grappler but his calling card in MMA has been his knockout power on the feet as his last three wins have come by strikes. He is a well-rounded and aggressive fighter with a great gas tank and he will be coming to beat Oliveira and win the title when they fight at UFC 262 this weekend.
Fight Breakdown: This is going to be an awesome fight for the UFC vacant lightweight title between two of the best in the world at 155lbs. For Oliveira, this is the culmination of over 10 years of grinding away in the Octagon, while for Chandler it would be the biggest achievement of his career after spending many of his best years fighting in Bellator. As the odds indicate, this is a very close, competitive fight, and a tricky one to predict. Chandler has the KO power that is needed to put Oliveira out, but Oliveira is the more well-rounded mixed martial artist and he also has several advantages as far as height and the reach go, not to mention he’s the slightly younger fighter. I wouldn’t be surprised if Chandler was able to finish Oliveira with strikes, but overall I slightly lean towards Oliveira in this fight. After seeing the way he’s dominated the field in the UFC as of late, including his shutout of Ferguson, I just can’t pick against him. My prediction is Oliveira finishes Chandler by either strikes or by a submission to become the new UFC lightweight champion.
Prediction: Charles Oliveira
