I was watching this fight with some friends and I couldn't help but compare it to some of his previous fights. To me, it seems as though Charles Oliveira is baiting these heavy hitters into swinging wildly. Don't get me wrong, it looks as though he has almost gotten caught with too big of a shot several times. However, if you notice as soon as he gets touched he drops to his back eliminating more damage. I wonder if this is not part of this tactic. Stand toe to toe, look for a knockout shot, and if you get hit hard drop back to eliminate damage. Most of these heavy hitters feel as though they have him at that point. It seems as though, he has a lot left in the tank at that point. He entices you to come back to the ground with him. If you decide not to, then you end up abandoning your game plan and search for the knockout.
UFC 274 was a great showing for Michael Chandler. He's one of the most exciting fighters in the UFC right now. It seems as though in his last couple fights, he is getting knocked down easily. I wonder if some of these weight cuts as he has gotten a little bit older are becoming problematic. He is a big guy. Very muscular and I heard in a recent interview that he weighs between 180 and 195 pounds outside of fight camp. That's quite a drop to get ready for these fights. Do you think he will move up as he gets older or just keep fighting for the 155 pound weight class?
