Khabib Nurmagomedov officially has given up his UFC lightweight championship, but it won’t be vacant for long.
Lightweight contenders Michael Chandler and Charles Oliveira are set to square off for the belt on May 15 at UFC 262. The event does not currently have a publicly known location or venue.
Two people with knowledge of the matchup confirmed the booking to MMA Junkie on Thursday but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement. ESPN was the first to report the news.
The longtime face of Bellator, where he was a three-time champ, Chandler (22-5 MMA, 1-0 UFC) entered free agency and signed with the UFC in late 2020. At UFC 257 in January, he made his promotional debut with an impressive first-round TKO win over Dan Hooker.
A member of the roster since 2010, Oliveira (30-8 MMA, 18-8 UFC) enters his first title fight on the most successful run of his UFC tenure. Oliveira has won eight consecutive fights, including victories over Jim Miller, Kevin Lee and, most recently, Tony Ferguson at UFC 256 in December.
With the addition, the UFC 262 lineup includes:
- Michael Chandler vs. Charles Oliveira
- Beneil Dariush vs. Tony Ferguson
- Jamie Pickett vs. Jordan Wright
- Priscila Cachoeira vs. Gina Mazany
- Viviane Araujo vs. Katlyn Chookagian
- Alex Perez vs. Matt Schnell
- Andrea Lee vs. Antonina Shevchenko
- Edson Barboza vs. Shane Burgos
