Charles Oliveira skeptical of Michael Chandler’s claim about being a changed fighter ahead of UFC 309: "That's who he is"
Charles Oliveira and Michael Chandler are set to clash in the co-main event of UFC 309 on Nov. 16. Their bout has been labeled as a lightweight title eliminator, with the winner of their clash expected to face the victor of Islam Makhachev vs. Arman Tsarukyan.
The upcoming pay-per-view co-main event will be a rematch of Oliveira's title fight against Chandler at UFC 262 in 2021. 'Do Bronx' secured a sensational second-round KO win after nearly being finished in the first round.
Ahead of the bout, 'Iron' has stated that he is a much different fighter from the one that faced the Brazilian three years ago. The reckless abandon that Chandler has become known for has changed, according to the 38-year-old, who has stated he will enter UFC 309 with a more calculated mindset.
But his opponent is not convinced. During a recent interview with ESPN MMA, Oliveira shared his thoughts on Chandler's claim that he was a new-and-improve version.
'Do Bronx' said:
"All you have to do is watch [Chandler's] fights, that's who he is. He's always aggressive, he's always going to go forward, he can't help but be himself. It's like saying Charles is going to back down, or walk backwards. I am never, I am going to always push forward. That's who [Chandler] is always going to be. Always very explosive, always very aggressive, a guy who's got a very strong first round." [Translater by Fabiano Buskei]
Catch Charles Oliveira's comments below (5:15):
Michael Chandler will revert to old ways against Charles Oliveira, believes Anthony Smith
Much of Michael Chandler's UFC 309 preview for his clash with Charles Oliveira has centered around him being a "2.0" version of the fighter we saw several years ago.
Chandler's opponent shared skepticism over the validity of the claim, and now former light heavyweight title challenger Anthony Smith has broken down the 38-year-old's comments too.
Smith recently discussed the UFC 309 co-main event on Michael Bisping's podcast, and said:
"When [Chandler] fought Poirier, I was right behind [Joe] Rogan, and I was like, ‘This is going to be an amazing fight, he’s going to fight smart.’ He tried. I was close enough that I could see him, hear his coaches, hear the corner work through the broadcast. You could hear the things with Dean, and you could see he was having this internal battle... I used to think he was trying to be exciting, but he’s not. It’s just who he is. He can’t help it."
Catch Smith discuss Charles Oliveira vs. Michael Chandler below (47:10):