Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream the UFC live on
your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the
ESPN app. Minutes after the Ultimate Fighting Championship officially
accepted Khabib
Nurmagomedov’s retirement, it put together a fight for his
vacant belt. On Thursday night, UFC President Dana White
stated on social media that he was ceasing his quest to retain
Nurmagomedov’s services as the lightweight champion. Shortly after
White’s post, ESPN
broke the news that the organization was moving on with its next
championship bout at 155 pounds. Charles
Oliveira (30-8, 1 NC) will get his first crack at the title
against ex-Bellator MMA kingpin Michael
Chandler (22-5). The two top-ranked lightweights will square
off at
UFC 262 on May 15, at a to-be-determined location.
Oliveira finally gets a shot at gold after amassing a stellar
eight-fight win streak, where the Brazilian has recorded victories
over the likes of Jim Miller,
Kevin
Lee and Tony
Ferguson as he blasted through the division. “Do Bronx” came
into his bout with Ferguson at UFC 256 on a seven-fight finish
streak, and although he needed three rounds to overcome Ferguson,
he dominated the former interim champ to get his hand raised.
Oliveira holds the record for the most submission victories in
company history with 14. He also is tied with Donald
Cerrone for the most finishes in UFC history, with 16 each.
Chandler, a three-time Bellator lightweight champ, made his
triumphant UFC debut in 2020 with an upset over Dan Hooker.
“Iron Mike” smashed through Hooker, needing exactly 2:30 to put the
Kiwi away with storm of punches. In his UFC 257 post-fight
interview, Chandler called out Nurmagomedov, ex-champ Conor
McGregor and anyone else in the weight class listening, while
claiming he was the new king of the division. Chandler left
Bellator as one of the winningest fighters in promotional history
(17), one shy of current recordholder and rival Patricio
Freire (18). He still holds the record along with Freire and
David
Rickels for the most bouts under the Bellator banner, with 23
appearances apiece.
UFC 262 gained its headliner of Oliveira vs. Chandler at
lightweight, and it will be held on May 15 at a currently unknown
location. This stacked lineup also contains a lightweight thriller
between Ferguson and Beneil
Dariush, while Edson
Barboza squares off with Shane
Burgos at featherweight. Other possible main card bouts include
Alex
Perez vs. Matt
Schnell at flyweight, and Katlyn
Chookagian against Viviane
Araujo also at flyweight.
