Michael Chandler Wants to Become the Oldest Lightweight Champion in UFC History

Michael
Chandler has set some lofty goals for his near future.

Chandler will be returning after a hiatus of almost two years in a
rematch against Charles
Oliveira in a five-round, co-headliner at UFC 309
on Nov. 16 at Madison Square Garden in New York. Despite having
gone 2-3 in his
UFC career, “Iron” hasn’t lost championship aspirations
yet.

Chandler believes he will be title talks with a potential win over
Oliveira, a former lightweight champion. Meanwhile, No. 1 contender
Arman
Tsarukyan is expected to challenge Islam
Makhachev for the title next year, potentially at UFC 311
in January. Chandler envisions himself facing the winner of that
fight if he can get past “do Bronx.” The 38-year-old veteran
believes he will become the oldest lightweight champ in UFC history
by next year.

“I’d like to say Chandler 1.0 was out for blood, Chandler 2.0 is
out for the title,” he recently told Shakiel Mahjouri. “I made a
lot of changes, and I believe I’m champion in 2025. This will be a
No.1 contender fight. I will be the highest ranked guy not named
Arman
Tsarukyan or Islam
Makhachev, who are fighting at some point in 2025, probably
January. So therefore, I will be knocking at that door. I will be
cageside watching that fight. And at some point we’ll fight in
2025, and I will hold that belt over my head as the oldest
lightweight champion in history.”

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The oldest lightweight champ in UFC history so far is Sean Sherk, who
was 33 years and 336 days old when he won the title at UFC 73 in
2007.

Meanwhile, Chandler has lost out on the last two years primarily
awaiting a big payday matchup against Conor
McGregor, who hasn’t fought since breaking his leg against
Dustin
Poirier in July 2021. McGregor starred opposite Chandler as
rival coaches on “The Ultimate Fighter 31” last year, but his
return to the Octagon was repeatedly delayed. The two were finally
scheduled to meet at UFC 303
this past June before “Notorious” pulled out due to a toe
injury.

Meanwhile, Chandler has dropped three of his last four, which
includes a technical knockout loss to Oliveira in May 2021. While
Chandler hasn’t completely given up on the McGregor matchup, he is
seemingly more focused on the title now.