NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Nashville resident Michael Chandler will fight for UFC gold this weekend at UFC 262.
Chandler will face Brazilian Charles Oliveira in the lightweight main event of the card taking place Saturday night inside Houston's Toyota Center.
It will only be the 35-year-old Chandler's second fight in the UFC, while his opponent is has fought 27 times in the UFC's octagon.
Chandler is making the most of his UFC opportunity, it's rare that any fighter gets a title shot with only one UFC contest to their name.
The amateur wrestler with the powerful right hand spent the first 11 years of his Mixed Martial Arts career proving himself in other organizations.
Chandler, who owns a gym and lives in Nashville with his wife and son, won the lightweight championship on three different occasions in Bellator before making the jump to UFC earlier this year.
Any doubts that Chandler would have trouble acclimating to the company were dashed halfway through the first round of his first fight after knocking out fellow lightweight contender Dan Hooker.
His opponent comes into their title bout the winner of eight straight fights with seven of those ending in a knockout or submission victory. Nineteen of Oliveira's 30 career victories have come by submission
Not to be outdone, 17 of Chandler's 22 wins have been by knockout or submission.
If he can make it 18, UFC gold will be coming to Music City.
