Michael Chandler MSG Curse: Determined to End His Losing Streak at Madison Square Garden
While Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic will headline UFC 309, fans are equally excited for the co-main event, where Michael Chandler faces off against former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira. This rematch is more than just another fight for Chandler—it’s a chance to break what he calls his “MSG curse.”
Chandler, who has previously suffered three losses at Madison Square Garden, is fully committed to rewriting his history at the iconic venue. In a recent interview on The Ariel Helwani Show, Chandler opened up about his motivation and his determination to put an end to his Madison Square Garden misfortunes.
“I’m defeated at MSG, 0-3,” he admitted. “I actually just ran into a dude who had been to all three of my fights at MSG, and he’s like, ‘Hey dude, we’re going to break the MSG Curse [at UFC 309].’”
Chandler’s three Madison Square Garden losses include a third-round submission to Dustin Poirier, a decision loss to Justin Gaethje, and a doctor’s stoppage against Brent Primus in Bellator back in 2017. Now, he sees the MSG curse as an added layer of motivation.
“To fight the guy who’s already beaten you and shattered your dreams, to also fight at the arena that has shattered your dreams every single time, you have never won there, and now it’s time to right that wrong,” Chandler said.
Chandler’s Motivation to Break His MSG Curse Against Oliveira
While many fighters might avoid an arena where they’ve repeatedly lost, Michael Chandler is eager to face Oliveira at Madison Square Garden. Despite superstitions that some fighters hold, Chandler says he’s unfazed by any notion of bad luck and actually requested this fight take place at MSG.
“No, not even a little bit [superstitious]; I wanted it, and I asked for this card,” he explained. “We talked about October, and I wanted to fight in October, but I needed to do a serious, legit weight cut [first].”
After preparing for a higher weight class, Chandler explained that he needed additional time to safely drop down to the lightweight division for the UFC 309 date in November.
“Like ‘Hey, I’ve been preparing my mind and body for 170 lbs for the last year and a half, and now I only have like 10 weeks to get down to 155 lbs for October’… It wasn’t going to happen; it was too soon, and I needed some time, [but] I wanted MSG, and we got MSG.”
With his mind set on breaking the MSG curse, Chandler also has his sights on a different outcome in his rematch with Charles Oliveira. In their previous encounter, Oliveira delivered a stunning second-round TKO at UFC 262. This time, Chandler has envisioned a reversal of that outcome, fully believing he can finish Oliveira.
Chandler’s Confidence in Overcoming Oliveira at UFC 309
“So, I’ve actually envisioned that a couple different times,” Chandler said, describing how he anticipates the fight ending. “I don’t know if it’s going to be a right hand, left hook, or what it’s going to be… But Charles Oliveira is going to be separated from consciousness, I believe [that] 100%. It’s going to be fun.”
Reflecting on their first fight, Chandler admitted he made mistakes, even though he was a seasoned professional going into the Octagon. He acknowledged the lessons he learned from that bout and believes the changes he’s made since then will be decisive.
“The second round was me making a really silly mistake that I have since cleaned up… I was too young, man… Even though I was old, I was too young, I was too new in the sport,” Chandler explained. “I had two and a half minutes of Octagon experience, two and a half minutes of UFC cage time.”
Chandler emphasized how he has transformed as a fighter and a person over the last two years, using his time away from the Octagon to make significant improvements.
“Not only have I grown as a fighter, but obviously these last two years that I’ve been out of the Octagon, out of competition, so many things I’ve changed and so many things I’ve worked on and so many things, I’ve turned into a completely different man,” Chandler said.
As UFC 309 approaches, fans are eager to see if Michael Chandler can overcome his MSG curse and rewrite his legacy at Madison Square Garden against Oliveira.
Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images
