UFC 262 is official, and it’s looking pretty packed at the top.
At the top the card, we’re going to see a new lightweight king crowned as relative newcomer Michael Chandler takes on Charles Oliveira for the now vacant UFC lightweight title.
With Khabib Nurmagomedov’s (29-0) retirement confirmed, Chandler and Oliveira leapfrog the likes of Dustin Poirier, Conor McGregor and Justin Gaethje to fight for the 155lb crown.
Poirier and McGregor are expected to complete their fight trilogy this July, also at lightweight, likely putting the victor there on course for a collision with whoever comes out on top between Chandler and Oliveira.
Time to write the next chapter at lightweight đź–‹
🎟 The #UFC262 Fight Club pre-sale starts now: https://t.co/8gctaO3hmu pic.twitter.com/uErrwp5BhZ
— UFC (@ufc) March 31, 2021
Diaz returns
Serving as a co-main event, Nate Diaz (20-12) makes a long-awaited return to cage action to face Leon Edwards at welterweight. Diaz hasn’t been seen in competitive action since his November 2019 BMF loss to Jorge Masvidal, that fight stopped by fight doctors after three rounds. Edwards (18-3, 1NC) was only seen in action mid-March, his welterweight bout with Belal Muhammad rule a no-contest following a second-round eye poke.
We’ll also be seeing Tony Ferguson on the road to redemption as the former interim lightweight champion (25-5) is set to take on Beneil Dariush, the latter on a six-fight win streak. Ferguson didn’t look himself at all through 2020, dropping a fifth-round TKO to Justin Gaethje last May (in a fight that should have been called much earlier), while being comprehensively out-grappled and out-fought by Charles Oliveira last December.
Here’s what we’re looking at for UFC 262.
UFC 262 Fight Card
- Charles Oliveira vs. Michael Chandler, UFC Lightweight Title (vacant)
- Nate Diaz vs. Leon Edwards (170)
- Tony Ferguson vs. Beneil Dariush (155)
- Ronaldo Souza vs. Andre Muniz (185)
- Shane Burgos vs. Edson Barboza (145)
- Jack Hermansson vs. Edmen Shahbazyan (185)
- Katlyn Chookagian vs. Viviane Araujo (125)
- Alex Perez vs. Matt Schnell (125)
- Andrea Lee vs. Antonina Shevchenko (125)
- Lando Vannata vs. Mike Grundy (145)
- Jordan Wright vs. Jamie Pickett (185)
- Rafael Alves vs. Damir Ismagulov (155)
- Joel Alvarez vs. Christos Giagos (155)
- Kevin Aguilar vs. Tucker Lutz (155)
- Gina Mazany vs. Priscila Cachoeira (125)
UFC 262: Oliveira v Chandler takes place Sunday 16 May at the Toyota Centre, Houston TX, in front of a capacity crowd. The main card gets underway at 3 am Irish time.
