Charles Oliveira and Michael Chandler are set to clash for the UFC Lightweight Championship at UFC 262 this Saturday, May 15.
Watch our full Oliveira vs. Chandler prediction video and analysis on YouTube.
It should be a remarkably close contest between two of the only top contenders in the 155-pound division who did not lose (or compete against) former champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. Nurmagomedov retired from the sport last year and the UFC vacated the title only recently before announcing the Oliveira vs. Chandler fight.
And although Oliveira and Chandler stand out as the two top contenders who didn’t lose to the former champion, they earned this title fight in different ways.
Oliveira was a middling UFC contender for his first five years with the promotion. Through 2012-17, Oliveira was 10-8 in the promotion and never looked like being anywhere near a title shot, especially in the stacked lightweight division. But after an impressive eight-fight win streak, Oliveira has emerged as arguably the second-most deserving contender in the division behind Dustin Poirier, who opted for the Conor McGregor trilogy bout instead.
Chandler has just one win in the promotion but it was as impressive as any of Oliveira’s so far in the UFC. The former Bellator champion shocked fans with a first-round knockout victory against Dan Hooker. It took Chandler just two minutes and thirty seconds to stop Hooker and now he’s walked his way into a title shot.
But who’s going to win at UFC 262? We share our Oliveira vs. Chandler predictions before the fights take place this Saturday.
Oliveira vs. Chandler predictions
Our team broke down Charles Oliveira vs. Michael Chandler in detail on YouTube. Here’s a brief summary of our UFC 262 predictions.
Watch our full Oliveira vs. Chandler prediction video and analysis on YouTube.
Patrick Auger
Oliveira has just shown crazy growth. Chandler has knockout power. He’s always had that but lately he’;s been turning it on. It’s possible that Chandler blitzes Oliveira and it’s one-hitter-quitter and it’s done. A first-round knockout for Chandler and he’s the champ. But if Oliveira is able to weather a storm and handle the aggressiveness that’s where I favor Oliviera to win. He’s just gotten too good on the ground. His striking is really evolved. Go back and watch how he neutralized Tony [Ferguson] at every single possible angle. He was three or four steps ahead of him. I’ve gotta go with Charles Oliveira.
Picking Charles Oliveira to win
Matthew Wells
I’m going to go with Charlie Olives. In his last two outings, as I’ve said on this channel, he looked like the best lightweight in the world. He flipped the switch and everything started clicking for him. He’s looked like a different type of beast out there. His ground game is incredible and he’ll be a little too much for Michael Chandler.
Picking Charles Oliveira to win
Drake Riggs
Since the Ferguson fight, I’m all on the Charlie Olives train. I think he’ll find a submission at some time in this fight. Maybe in the first two rounds. As I’ve said, we’ve seen Chandler with his ‘not here for a long time, here for a good time’ attitude; he’ll come out fast and hard and it might cost him. Oliveira’s going to be around for a while I think he’s hit that point where he’s definitely legit now.
Picking Charles Oliveira to win
