Daniel Cormier believes MMA fans need to respect Michael Chandler for what he has accomplished in his career.
Fans have criticized Chandler for holding out for the fight with McGregor which many never come to fruition. Dustin Poirier also recently took aim at Chandler saying he isn’t a UFC fighter like he is, which Cormier disagrees with.
“You can tell that Dustin Poirier takes offense to Michael Chandler almost putting himself on the same level as him and all the guys that have been around the UFC for as long as he has,” Cormier said on his YouTube channel. “He doesn’t like that. It’s almost territorial in a sense that he’s going, ‘We’ve done this for a long time. You can’t come in here with four fights and say we.’
“It almost seems perfect when it comes to Chandler, but at the end of the day, Michael Chandler and the work he put on paper in a short period of time has to be respected. For a guy like Dustin Poirier who goes, ‘From 2011, ‘16, ‘17, ‘18, I was scratching and clawing, really trying to make my way.’ I can get how he would have frustration for a guy who did it so fast but at the end of the day should still be respected,” he concluded.
As Cormier says, Chandler has paid his dues outside of the UFC as he is the former Bellator lightweight champion and has fought and beaten plenty of notable names.
Conor McGregor says Michael Chandler fight is ‘for sure’ happening in 2024
Michael Chandler has not fought since November of 2022 when he was submitted by Dustin Poirier as he’s been holding out for the Conor McGregor fight.
Chandler and McGregor were booked to fight at UFC 303, but an injury to the Irishman forced him out. The fight has not been rebooked but McGregor says the bout will happen this year.
“I talked to Dana today about our new date, all looking good! 24′ for sure,” McGregor tweeted.
Currently, it’s unclear when the fight will happen, but the hope for many fans is it will take place this year.