Anthony Smith believes Michael Chandler would struggle to "control himself" in fight against Charles Oliveira at UFC 309: "He can't change it"

Michael Chandler is set to return to the octagon after a two-year absence from the sport. He will face former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira in their rematch at UFC 309 on Nov. 16 at Madison Square Garden in New York, United States. Now, UFC light heavyweight fighter Anthony Smith has shared his thoughts on how Chandler should approach the fight.

On Michael Bisping’s Believe You Me podcast, Smith was asked whether Chandler would be able to control himself and avoid going all out as he did against Dustin Poirier, possibly securing a win. The 36-year-old mentioned that it would be really hard for Chandler because he’s not himself when he tries to hold back. Smith said:

“Not a chance… when he (Chandler) fought Poirier, I was right behind Rogan, and I was like, ‘This is going to be an amazing fight, he’s going to fight smart.’ He tried. I was close enough that I could see him, hear his coaches, hear the corner work through the broadcast. You could hear the things with Dean, and you could see he was having this internal battle.

"He knew that he had been really successful with the wrestling, but there was this devil on the other shoulder saying, ‘Just go for broke,’ and he couldn’t help it. He’s in this battle, trying to pull back, but then going for it again.”

Smith continued:

“I used to think he was trying to be exciting, but he’s not. It’s just who he is. He can’t help it. He would pull back, go for it again, and you could tell he was thinking, ‘I’ve got to go,’ but he couldn’t stop. He just can’t change it.”

Check out Anthony Smith's comments below (46:38):

‘Iron’ last fought at UFC 281 against former interim lightweight champion Poirier. The two fighters were going back and forth in the first two rounds, but eventually, ‘The Diamond’ secured the victory in the third round by submitting the 38-year-old with a rear-naked choke.

Chandler was originally scheduled for UFC 303 against his longtime rival Conor McGregor, but a few weeks before the bout, McGregor pulled out due to a toe injury.

---

Michael Chandler opens up about defeat against Charles Oliveira ahead of UFC 309

Michael Chandler faced Charles Oliveira at UFC 262 in their first encounter for the vacant lightweight title after Khabib Nurmagomedov announced his retirement from the sport. Oliveira clinched the victory in the second round via TKO and became the lightweight champion.

In his recent appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, Chandler reflected on the loss against 'Do Bronx.' The American fighter said it was a tough pill to swallow, and the loss made him feel depressed and uncertain about whether he would get the opportunity again in his life.

"That [loss to Oliveira] was, probably, the most painful point in my career after a loss. That was my one opportunity, I thought that was my one opportunity [to become UFC champion]... It's what have you done for me lately business. It is you lose and all the sudden I'm the flavor of the week this week, people are excited to watch me fight. You lose, what happens next? Are you able to build yourself back?"

Check out Michael Chandler’s comments below: