https://www.espn.com/mma/story/_/id...tired-michael-chandler-charles-oliveira-title I wasn’t expecting that but it seems poirier or gaethje didn’t fancy fighting either of these two. I think i read something just yesterday about gaethje fighting chandler but now this. Should be a good fight
Sheesh Oliviera knocking back all those fights has worked out perfectly as he lands title shot and he matches up pretty well with Chandler. Should be a good fight but i favour Chandler,who i think UFC is hoping gets the title as he is somebody they will promote heavily and who with couple impressive wins could convice Khabib to return for big fight
Also looks like Masvidal gets his rematch and shot at the title with out winning a comeback fight. UFC has lost the plot in how title shots are given or the meaning of being number 1 contender which seems to count for nothing Aka Colby. Whittaker 2 and 0 since Izzy for example has to keep winning to hold on and possibly get a shot at the belt again, yet if Kelvin who is 1 from 3 in his last fights will probably get the shot if he wins. feels like Dana wants Rob to lose so he can cut him.
I don't have a problem with this fight for the title because it seems Poirier was happy to forgo the title shot to fight Conor again for a good pay cheque. The good thing about all this is that Conor will not receive a third undeserved title shot at 155 which really would have been a complete farce. Gaethje hasn't won a fight since being embarrassed in his title fight with Khabib so he should have to win at least one fight to get another crack.
I dont think they want to cut Rob but i know Dana wasnt happy because he wasnt calling for the izzy rematch after his last win,which is why they instead made the fight with Blachowicz. Rob is far and away the obvious top contender and challenger for the middleweight title after easily beating the guys izzy had wanted to fight instead of giving whitakere his deserved rematch and only other guy who might get next shot is Vettori if he beats Till,who Izzy is pathetically trying to fight next, despite losing 3 of his last 4.
No i also favour Chandler but i feel its a far better match up for Oliviera then the other fights that were offered to him that he knocked back
He was offered the fight with Chandler but with no belt on the line and he turned it down and then he was offered a fight with Nate Diaz who was coming down from 170 and he turned it down. Then he was offered the fight with Chandler again with the belt on the line and he accepted. Stylistically this is a super tough match for Oliveria if Oliveria can make it out of the first 3 relatively unscathed he has a good chance to pick chandler apart but that's easier said than done. Chandler is a very tough fighter to take down and keep down but if theirs someone in the division who can do it not named Khabib it would be Oliveria. At the moment I'm picking Chandler but I may change my mind as we get closer to the fight. I really feel bad for Justin Gaethje though they need to line something up for him asap I didn't expect him to be in the title fight after losing to khabib but right now he's definitely still in the top 3 of the division for me.