UFC 317 headliner Charles Oliveira kicked off a new lightweight era after Khabib Nurmagomedov’s retirement.
Charles Oliveira helped the UFC’s lightweight division move on from Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov‘s shocking retirement and title vacation. When Oliveira finally got his coveted undisputed title shot at UFC 262, he made the most of his opportunity.
Nurmagomedov retired after defeating Justin Gaethje at UFC 254, after the tragic death of his father Abdulmanap. He vacated the belt months later, which Oliveira and Michael Chandler fought for in the UFC 262 main event.
After Nurmagomedov left the division, Oliveira and Chandler kicked off the new era with a bang.
Charles Oliveira survived early knockout threat from Michael Chandler in UFC 262 title win
Chandler stunned Oliveira with a massive left hook just under a minute into the fight, before Oliveira changed levels and dodged a guillotine threat from Chandler. The two lightweights exchanged threats on the ground before both sides eventually returned to the feet.
After escaping Oliveira’s legendary body triangle, Chandler landed some big ground-and-pound shots as he attempted to welcome Oliveira back to his feet. Chandler then pressured Oliveira against the cage midway through Round 1, before dropping Oliveira with a massive right hand that nearly knocked the Brazilian out cold.
But Oliveira was able to withstand Chandler’s early pace and pressure to make it to the horn at the end of the first round. In Round 2, Oliveira gave Chandler a taste of his medicine.
Just seconds into Round 2, Oliveira dropped Chandler with a massive left uppercut to the chin that left his opponent badly stunned. As Chandler retreated, Oliveira sealed the come-from-behind win with another left hand that dropped Chandler again, before finishing the fight with ground-and-pound.
Oliveira’s vacant title win at UFC 262 extended what was a nine-fight winning streak against Chandler, with all but one of those victories coming by stoppage. Before UFC 262, Oliveira solidified himself as a top contender by outpointing Tony Ferguson at UFC 256.
Chandler’s defeat came after a shocking UFC debut knockout over Dan Hooker just months earlier at UFC 257. The former Bellator champion remains a top UFC fan favorite despite recent struggles.
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Charles Oliveira plans to push the pace against Ilia Topuria at UFC 317
Years after his UFC 262 comeback win, Oliveira will once again fight for a vacant lightweight title when he faces Ilia Topuria this Saturday at UFC 317. Oliveira is looking to return to the lightweight throne after recent wins over Chandler (rematch), and Beneil Dariush.
Oliveira’s third vacant title shot comes after Islam Makhachev announced a move to welterweight to take on Jack Della Maddalena later this year. Oliveira lost to Makhachev at UFC 280 by submission.
After announcing his retirement at UFC 254, Nurmagomedov never looked back, despite several intriguing fight offers from UFC CEO Dana White. He entered the UFC Hall of Fame in 2022.