The matchup MMA fans have been salivating over has become a reality, as lightweight contenders Justin Gaethje and Michael Chandler are set to finally collide.
The matchup was first reported by ESPN's Brett Okamoto via a tweet that confirmed both men had verbally agreed to the fight and a November 6 date as part of UFC 268. There is no official venue or location yet for the event but Okamoto has also reported that Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York is the targeted host site at the moment.
Ohhhh boy. Here we go, folks. Gaethje (@Justin_Gaethje). Chandler (@MikeChandlerMMA). Verbally agreed, per sources.
— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) July 30, 2021
UFC 268 PPV. No official date or venue for that PPV just yet, but the target is Nov. 6, Madison Square Garden. pic.twitter.com/Z75u2nlmv2
The bout between Gaethje and Chandler is MMA nirvana, expected to be an all-action fight come this winter and is pivotal as both fighters are coming off title fight losses. Gaethje will try to rebound from a second-round submission defeat due to a triangle choke against Khabib Nurmagomedov back at UFC 254, while Chandler will also try to bounce back from a second-round TKO loss to new UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira at UFC 262. A rematch between current UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington is also expected to be a part of the Octagon's return to the Big Apple.
Relive the #AndNew moment in slo-mo ----
— UFC (@ufc) May 20, 2021
[ #UFC262 ‘Fight Motion’ on https://t.co/dIafEQfIaX ] pic.twitter.com/91UFag9Jly
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