Michael Chandler is a glass-half-full kind of guy. But even an optimist like this UFC lightweight contender doesn’t feel the need to dance around how he’s fared competing in the heart of Manhattan over the years.

Two fighters have withdrawn from UFC 309 less than two weeks before the event. Light heavyweight Azamat Murzakanov and featherweight Lucas Almeida are out of their respective Nov. 16 bouts that were scheduled for Madison Square Garden in New York.

Michael Chandler wants to "steal the show" from Jon Jones at UFC 309 on Nov. 16 in New York, when he rematches Charles Oliveira at Madison Square Garden.