UFC 262
| Industry | Mixed martial arts promotion |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1993 |
| Founder | Art Davie, Rorion Gracie |
| Headquarters | Las Vegas , United States |
Key people | Dana White (President) |
| Products | Mixed martial arts events |
| Website | www |
UFC 262: Oliveira vs. Chandler was a mixed martial arts competition organized by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on May 15, 2021, taking place at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.
Background
The main event featured a UFC Lightweight Championship match for the vacant belt between former three-time Bellator Lightweight World Champion Michael Chandler and Charles Oliveira. This championship became available after previous titleholder Khabib Nurmagomedov retired following UFC 254, a development confirmed by UFC President Dana White in March 2021.
A welterweight contest between Leon Edwards and former lightweight contender Nate Diaz was initially planned as the first-ever five-round non-title co-main event in UFC history but was rescheduled to UFC 263 due to an injury sustained by Diaz.
A flyweight matchup involving former top contender Alex Perez and Matt Schnell was shifted to the bantamweight division after Perez withdrew. He was replaced by Rogério Bontorin, who failed to make weight by one pound and consequently forfeited 20% of his fight purse.
Joel Álvarez was pulled from his lightweight fight against Christos Giagos because of visa complications; Giagos instead faced returning veteran Sean Soriano.
A middleweight bout between Jack Hermansson and Edmen Shahbazyan was deferred to UFC Fight Night: Font vs. Garbrandt due to a COVID-19 case within Hermansson's camp.
On May 14, the UFC increased the bonuses for Fight of the Night and Performance of the Night from $50,000 to $75,000 exclusively for this event, responding to a suggestion by former interim lightweight champion Tony Ferguson.
Bonus awards
The following fighters were awarded $75,000 bonuses:
- Fight of the Night: Edson Barboza vs. Shane Burgos
- Performance of the Night: Charles Oliveira and Christos Giagos
Aftermath
In June 2021, USADA informed Bontorin of a doping violation after he tested positive for hydrochlorothiazide in May. He provided supplements sourced from a Brazilian compounding pharmacy that contained the banned substance despite lacking any label indication. Bontorin received a suspension lasting three months starting May 1, and his victory was changed to a no contest.