Oliveira’s Reported Knee Injury Before UFC 309
Charles Oliveira later said he tore two ligaments in his knee about two weeks before his November 16, 2024 fight with Michael Chandler at UFC 309. He still competed and won a five-round unanimous decision. The account of the injury came from Oliveira in a post-fight interview; the public reporting does not identify the ligaments or include medical records.
What Oliveira said about his knee
Speaking with reporter Evelyn Rodrigues after the fight, Oliveira said he had torn two ligaments in the knee roughly two weeks before UFC 309. He said a doctor advised him to go four to six weeks without training, and that he stopped training during the final 15 days before the bout while continuing some gym work. Oliveira said he had kept the injury quiet because a loss might make it sound like an excuse and a win might make him sound as if he were exaggerating. He also said withdrawing from the fight had not been considered.
Those details are Oliveira’s account as reported from the interview. The reports do not name the ligaments or provide a diagnosis, imaging, or independent medical confirmation. They also do not establish that his reported injury was the only reason for his training adjustments.
The UFC 309 result
Oliveira defeated Chandler by unanimous decision in the five-round co-main event at Madison Square Garden. The official scorecards read 49–46, 49–46 and 49–45. It was their second meeting: Oliveira had stopped Chandler by second-round TKO at 0:19 at UFC 262 in May 2021 to win the UFC lightweight championship. The 2024 rematch went the distance, and both fighters received Fight of the Night honors.
What happened next
The win put Oliveira back in contention, but did not immediately lead to a title bout against Islam Makhachev or Arman Tsarukyan. In June 2025, Oliveira challenged Ilia Topuria for the vacant lightweight title and lost by first-round knockout. He returned with a second-round submission of Mateusz Gamrot in October 2025, then defeated Max Holloway by unanimous decision at UFC 326 on March 7, 2026, to win the BMF title.
Sources
Sherdog: Report of Oliveira’s post-fight interview about the injury
UFC: UFC 309 results and official scorecards
UFC: UFC 317 results
UFC: Oliveira vs. Gamrot results
UFC: UFC 326 results
