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Nurmagomedov, 32, announced his retirement in
the cage following his submission victory over American Justin
Gaethje in October 2020, prompting a rush to replace him at the
top of one of the most competitive divisions in the UFC.
Former Bellator champion Chandler quickly dispatched New
Zealander Dan Hooker in his UFC debut in January and will fight
for the UFC belt in only his second bout with the promotion.
He defended his right to the fight.
"These days the word 'deserve' is a hard one to quantify, (but)
I’ve been in this sport for over a decade - 13 years in August.
My resume does speak for itself," Chandler told a media
conference on Thursday.
His opponent Oliveira is on an eight-fight winning streak and
staked his claim to a title shot with a unanimous decision
victory in December over American Tony Ferguson, former interim
title holder who will meet Beneil Dariush in the co-main event.
As the fighters shared a stage to speak to the media, Ferguson
accused Chandler of dodging him as he sought an easier route to
the UFC title and suggested his compatriot was being given
preferential treatment by the UFC.
"You said no, I’m going to be real. You got this handed to you.
You got (UFC president) Dana White privilege,” said Ferguson.
Former champion Conor McGregor had his sights on winning back
the belt he lost to Nurmagomedov but defeat by American Dustin
Poirier in Abu Dhabi in January saw him leapfrogged in the
queue.
Irishman McGregor is slated to meet Poirier in a rematch in
July, with the winner likely to be back in title contention.
(Reporting by Philip O'Connor; Editing by Ken Ferris)
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