Tom Aspinall loves to watch Michael Chandler fight, even if he thinks the lightweight contender’s entertaining performances typically come at his own expense.

Chandler meets Charles Oliveira at UFC 309 this Saturday in a rematch of their UFC 262 thriller that Oliveira won by second-round TKO to claim a vacant lightweight title. Sitting cageside will be Aspinall, the UFC’s interim heavyweight champion and while he’s excited to get a closer look at headliners Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic, he’ll be just as tuned in for the five-round co-main event.

Specifically, he looks forward to seeing Chandler eschew strategy in favor of pleasing the crowd as he often does.

“I think Mike Chandler, especially, he’s got to be one of the most frustrating people to coach ever,” Aspinall told TNT Sports. “Because tactics when he fights are just completely out the window, and he just goes for it. He’s just basically having a street fight with a pair of gloves on, it’s fantastic to watch.”

Chandler has been a bonus machine since making the move from Bellator to UFC in 2021, earning an extra five-figure check in all but one of his five UFC appearances. His 2021 clash with Justin Gaethje, a unanimous decision loss, was touted by several publications as the Fight of the Year.

In Bellator, Chandler won the 155-pound title three times, and though there were hints of the berserker style he would later fully adopt, he frequently employed more cerebral game plans. Given how Chandler’s mindset has won over legions of fans, Aspinall understands why he fights the way he does.

“He just fights with pure aggression and athleticism, really,” Aspinall said. “Obviously, he’s very technical, but he chooses not to use that in a way, but for me sometimes I love technique. I love the finesse of fighting, but sometimes just like anybody else, I just like to watch a good scrap. So this guy’s entertainment every time.”

Standing across from Chandler once again is Oliveira, a former lightweight champion. “Do Bronx” is one of the most potent finishers in UFC history and owns the most submissions by an octagon fighter at 16. His first fight with Chandler was one to remember and Aspinall feels privileged to be able to witness the rematch firsthand.

“Put these two guys in,” Aspinall said. “You close the octagon doors, you ring the bell, and it’s just going to be absolute chaos. So I’m looking forward to being cageside for that one.”

Watch Aspinall’s full breakdown of the top-2 UFC 309 fights with TNT Sports below.