Michael Chandler: Striking favors Ilia Topuria, but Charles Oliveira is 'tough everywhere'
Michael Chandler: Striking favors Ilia Topuria, but Charles Oliveira is 'tough everywhere'
Michael Chandler knows first hand not to count out Charles Oliveira at UFC 317.
Oliveira (35-10 MMA, 23-10 UFC) is a sizable underdog for his vacant lightweight title fight against Ilia Topuria (16-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) in the June 28 main event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+).
Chandler fought Oliveira twice – losing to him the first time by knockout at UFC 262, then by unanimous decision at UFC 309.
"It's tough. You don't bet against freaking Charles Oliveira because he's so dang good everywhere, and he's a really hard guy to beat," Chandler told MMA Junkie. "With that being said, Ilia Topuria's got some crazy power in his hands, and crazy accurate strikes. It's going to be very interesting to see how that fight goes. You've got to think that in the striking department leans towards Ilia, but Charles is tough everywhere. Obviously fighting him twice, I know."
The UFC's lightweight division saw a lot of moving parts after Topuria vacated his featherweight belt for a move up, and Islam Makhachev relinquished his 155-pound title to go to welterweight. Chandler knows he could have found himself in the title picture if he was able to beat any of his past two opponents.
"No, I'm not surprised," Chandler said on the state of the lightweight division. "And I think maybe some of those rumors and stuff maybe played into my decision on why I wanted to fight Paddy, why I wanted to get back in there.
"Obviously if you look at the timing, I should have had a win against Oliveira. I messed that up. I should have had a win against Paddy. I messed that up. I've had these great opportunities and they've just slipped through my fingertips. So if I would have beat Charles, I'd be fighting Ilia for the title right now. But this is the way the sport goes."
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