If Michael Chandler can live up to his own expectations, he will have a legendary run over the next 12 months. Chandler is preparing for a rematch with Charles Oliveira UFC 309a fight he hopes will see him take on Islam Makhachev, Conor McGregor and Max Holloway next year.
Chandler is desperate to make up for lost time after a lengthy fight with McGregor was canceled. The former UFC title challenger and three-time Bellator champion hasn't fought in 24 months in hopes of meeting his rival on Season 31 of “The Ultimate Fighter.” Once McGregor pulled out of their fight At UFC 303 on June 29, Chandler returned his focus to the UFC lightweight championship.
“The title is the No. 1 goal, but there's still a lot of work to be done,” Chandler told CBS Sports ahead of his Nov. 16 co-main event slot at New York's Madison Square Garden. “Chandler vs. McGregor from 'TUF 31'. This chapter must be completed at some point. He has spoken openly about it in public interviews.
Chandler's immediate focus is avenging his knockout loss to Oliveira in 2021, a vacant UFC lightweight title fight in Chandler's second UFC appearance. But Chandler had plenty of time to map out his 2025 strategy. Chandler believes a win over Oliveira, who is ranked No. 3 in the UFC's official lightweight rankings, puts him in a position to challenge the winner of Islam Makhachev against Arman Tsarukyan, especially Makhachev retains his title. Makhachev is rumored to face Tsarukyan on January 18 at UFC 311, but that schedule puts Chandler's championship and activity goals in conflict.
“You also have to remember that Islam is probably fighting in late January,” Chandler said. “He goes to Ramadan in February and all of March. He won't be able to go to a training camp until April. He won't be able to fight until June or July. I'm not trying to wait until June or July.”
Watch the full interview with Michael Chandler below.
Many people have lost patience awaiting McGregor's return after a break of more than three years. Chandler knows these frustrations all too well. But if the timing works out, Chandler is interested in setting up a Makhachev fight between McGregor and ceremonial BMF champion Max Holloway, the latter recently announced a full-time move to lightweight.
“Conor could sneak in there. We could see Chandler vs. Oliveira, Chandler vs. McGregor, Chandler vs. Makhachev and Chandler vs. Holloway,” Chandler said. “The craziest four-fight run in a 12-month period anyone has ever seen.”
