Charles Oliveira and Michael Chandler to fight for the vacated UFC lightweight title at UFC 262
Charles Oliveira and Michael Chandler will be fighting for the recently-vacated UFC lightweight title at UFC 262, reported ESPN's Brett Okamoto. The duo will collide in the main event of UFC 262 PPV which is set to take place on May 15, 2021.
The news of the UFC lightweight title clash comes in the wake of Dana White officially confirming Khabib Nurmagomedov's retirement.
Earlier today, the UFC president announced on Twitter that Nurmagomedov will not be fighting in the promotion anymore.
The Dagestani's departure from the UFC now opens the door for other lightweights to win the title.
Charles Oliviera has been consistently clamoring for a title fight on the back of a stunning eight-fight win streak. On the other hand, Michael Chandler made his UFC debut in style at UFC 257. The former Bellator superstar knocked out Dan Hooker in the first round to put the lightweight division on notice.
Is Dustin Poirier fine with Charles Oliveira and Michael Chandler fighting for the UFC lightweight championship?
UFC pitting Michael Chandler against Charles Oliveira for the lightweight title suggests that Dustin Poirier will have to wait longer to stake his claim on the strap.
However, the No.1 ranked lightweight contender is not averse to the idea of Michael Chandler and Charles Oliveira competing for the championship. After his huge win over Conor McGregor at UFC 257, Poirier had stated that he would like to settle his rivalry with 'The Notorious One' in a trilogy fight, instead of an immediate title shot.
"I don't really care. I want to be the world champion... Charles (Oliveira) is a guy who has paid his dues. He has earned where he is at, no doubt about it. Let him and (Michael) Chandler fight for the belt if they (UFC) want Chandler in there for the title, and he is calling for the title, then let them fight for the belt. I'll take a step back and just watch," said Poirier.