Michael Chandler had an entire crowd watching him on his side for the UFC return.

last saturday, Donald Trumpwho would soon serve a second term as President of the United States, stood in the front row watching the main card action UFC 309 pay-per-view at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Chandler (23-9 MMA, 2-4 UFC) competed in the co-main event in a highly anticipated rematch against Charles Oliveira (35-10 MMA, 23-10 UFC). Unfortunately for Chandler, he lost a unanimous decisionbut that didn’t stop him from approaching Trump when the fight ended.

“I shook his hand and he said, ‘Great fight.’ You’re a warrior,’” Chandler recalled and continued The bus with the boys. “He whispered in my ear — and there’s a really cool picture of him whispering in my ear — and he was just like, ‘You’re a bad mofo,’ kind of deal. It was pretty cool, and I was like, ‘Yeah, you are (a bad mofo). Thank you for saving our country.”

Chandler’s return at UFC 309 marked his first fight since November 2022. He sat on the sidelines waiting for a Conor McGregor fight that didn’t materialize, prompting a pivot to the Oliveira rematch.

With the loss, Chandler is 1-4 in his last five. He hopes his next fight will be against McGregor in 2025.

For more on the card, visit the MMA Junkies event hub for UFC 309.