Oliveira survives 5th-round rally, beats Chandler in lopsided decision

Former UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira made it 2-0 against Michael Chandler in their rematch, defeating him via unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 49-45) in the UFC 309 co-main event Saturday night at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Oliveira survived a dramatic fifth round in which Chandler hurt him with an overhand right and landed a barrage of ground-and-pound shots.

The Brazilian won the first four rounds on all three judges' scorecards, using his trademark jiu-jitsu skill set to control Chandler on the ground. Oliveira converted four of nine takedown attempts and amassed over 13 minutes of control time.

Oliveira previously defeated Chandler via second-round knockout in May 2021 to capture the vacant 155-pound championship.

Following the victory, Oliveira expressed interest in challenging the winner of the planned title bout between champion Islam Makhachev and Arman Tsarukyan.

Chandler, meanwhile, called out former champions Max Holloway and Conor McGregor.

"Maybe Max Holloway for the BMF belt," Chandler said of his next opponent. "Or Conor McGregor, if you can ever get your house back in order ... we've been wondering where you've been. Come beat me - if you can."

Chandler returned to the Octagon for the first time since November 2022. He spent the last two years of his career waiting for a megafight against McGregor that failed to materialize. Chandler was scheduled to face McGregor at UFC 303 in June, but the Irishman withdrew with a broken toe. The two served as coaches on "The Ultimate Fighter 31" in 2023.

Chandler is now riding a two-fight skid and falls to 2-4 in the promotion.

Oliveira got back on track after suffering a split-decision defeat to Arman Tsarukyan at UFC 300 in April. "Do Bronx" has alternated wins and losses in his last five appearances.