Charles Oliveira Beats Michael Chandler by Decision in UFC 309 Co-Main Event Fight

Oliveira’s clear advantage on the ground was showcased early on. He controlled a large portion of the first round with his grappling and forced Chandler to fend off a leg submission attempt.

Chandler was able to survive the round without real danger of the fight being stopped.

The same couldn’t be said for the second round. Oliveira once again was able to get the fight to the mat and played things even more confidently once he was there.

The Oliveira Show continued in Round 3 with just a few moments toward the end of the round in which Chandler was able to get to his feet and throw a few strikes.

To Chandler’s credit, he didn’t give up on himself and even gave a little smile for the cameras at the end of the round.

Oliveira was able to get back to the feet and ultimately survived the round to get the win, but Chandler at least went down swinging in a wildly entertaining fifth round. He even threw a few borderline WWE slams in at the end for good measure.

The win was crucial for Oliveira to put himself back in contention. The Brazilian had lost two of his last three fights coming into the co-main event opportunity. Islam Makhachev submitted him tine second round in 2022 and he lost a title eliminator against Arman Tsarukyan by split decision last time out.

A third loss in four fights would have been a death knell to Olveira’s title shot chances.

Now, he has a chance to work himself toward another crack at the belt. In fact, he might have already earned it. Current champion Islam Makhachev took to X to bring attention to Saturday’s co-main event.

It’s worth noting that Oliveira just turned 35 years old and already has a lengthy career in the UFC. However, he’s also noted that the recent birth of his son has him feeling rejuvenated and focused on adding accomplishments to his career.