The UFC is gearing up for a huge pay-per-view event on Nov. 16, which will see the return of heavyweight champion Jon Jones, as he takes on Stipe Miocic for the title. The co-main event is just as exciting, as lightweight contenders Michael Chandler and Charles Oliveira are set for a five-round showdown that can determine the next contender to take on current lightweight champion Islam Makhachev.
Despite the excitement surrounding the fight, there appear to be rumors spinning that Oliveira and Chandler are facing an issue regarding their upcoming bout. A report from X indicated by UPFRONT MMA revealed a replacement for Oliveira was needed, and that the news was shared by Coach Diego Lima via Fight Pass Brazil.
Naturally, this promoted responses from fellow lightweights wanting to cash in on stepping in on short notice, such as Dustin Poirier, who said, "I'm in."
Even Oliveira himself shared the post from UPFRONT MMA, with a response that appears to indicate his own confusion at the report.
Oliveira simply responded with the "thinking" emoji, likely wondering how this information was released or who was spinning this rumor. Fights being called off is unfortunately not uncommon in the UFC, but it appears there is no validity to this rumor.
Even MMA insider Ariel Helwani addressed the rumor on his show.
Helwani often offers more updates to fans of MMA and the UFC, and he has done so this time. According to a video posted to his X, "Based on the conversations I've had, Charles Oliveira x Michael Chandler is not in jeopardy at this time. #UFC309."
Helwani also indicated that he reached out to Chandler's camp for an update on this rumor, and everyone on that side of things was also surprised to hear this information. All in all, it appears that Chandler and Oliveira will step into the octagon on Nov. 15.
Chandler is waiting for his time to rise through the rankings and challenge whoever holds the lightweight belt next year. He sat down with Newsweek Sports in an exclusive interview and spoke about his preparation for Oliveira, and his plans to still take on Conor McGregor sometime in the future.
Read more: Exclusive: Michael Chandler on Charles Oliveira, Conor McGregor, and UFC Goals
For more on this interview and Chandler's lofty goals for 2025, check out the full interview, here.
Chandler also revealed that he was offered a fight with Max Holloway before he decided to move to featherweight to challenge Ilia Topuria. After Holloway was knocked out, he took to social media to reveal his plans to move to lightweight permanently.
With Holloway moving up and Chandler revealing that they were scheduled to fight, we could see the pair square off for the BMF title sometime in the future. For now, Oliveira and Chandler are still going at it on Nov. 15.
For more UFC news, head to Newsweek Sports.
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