A new chapter in UFC lightweight history began on Thursday, when Dana White officially acknowledged the retirement of Khabib Nurmagomedov and the lightweight title became vacant.
It only took a few moments for a new championship game to be booked. Charles Oliveira (30-8 MMA, 18-8 UFC) will finally get his crack at UFC gold when he meets Michael Chandler (22-5 MMA, 1-0 UFC) in a double for the newly relinquished strap from Nurmagomedov at UFC 262 on May 15.
The changing landscape moment naturally achieved a significant increase in the MMA community. For more information, check out Twitter’s top reactions to the top news from the UFC’s 155-pound division.
Smart! Very smart!
Bossman uses the old strategy “Hey, sure, we can only be friends …”.
Not without his own risks, you have to choose the right time or Khabib will be all “Honestly, no, I’m flattered, but I see you more as a brother.”
But don’t count Dana yet! https://t.co/48UzK87AEO
– Ant Evans (@AntEvansMMA) March 19, 2021
The UFC lightweight division is officially open to companies.
Oliveira-Chandler for the vacant title
Poirier-McGregor 3
Ferguson-Dariush
In addition Gaethje, Two Angels, Makhachev …
– Nick Baldwin (@NickBaldwinMMA) March 19, 2021
Congratulations on doing the first one @BellatorMMA V @UFC super fight in the history of the sport! I hope you are the first of so many!
– Crypto accepted @ CrisCyborg.Com / store (@criscyborg) March 19, 2021
Khabib Nurmagomedov is retiring as the best number 1 pound fighter in the world.
He is the only fighter in the history of MMA who has done so. pic.twitter.com/XuLqGCj54M
– MMA History Today (@MMAHistoryToday) March 19, 2021
Happy for the two boys. Whoever wins is an amazing story. Either Michael Chandler becomes UFC lightweight king in two fights after being told in the race that he wasn’t that good, or Charles Oliveira’s journey “down the busy road” reigns. I’m hooked. # UFC262 https://t.co/fW4HpT7Fhu
– Rei Nolan (@mma_kings) March 19, 2021
I guess a Poirier didn’t care and knows he will come. There’s no chance they’d missed it, it certainly would have been part of the conversation.
This bottom-up game is about time # UFC262
– Damien Brown (@ beatdown155) March 19, 2021
I thought Oliveira should have taken advantage of Nate Diaz to call him because he thought he would be the one to stay out of the cold, but I was wrong. Good for him! https://t.co/9LPw5UAbtW
– Simon Samano (@SJSamano) March 19, 2021