If the McGregor fight doesn’t take priority, Gaethje will face the winner of Makhachev and Charles Oliveira for the UFC lightweight title. ‘The Highlight’ is fresh off a sensational knockout win over Dustin Poirier in the main event of UFC 291.
While oddsmakers currently have Gaethje as a +425 underdog against Makhachev, and Oliveira already holds a stoppage win over him, Chandler backs his fellow American to beat both.
Talking on his YouTube channel, Chandler broke down his thought process and proclaimed Gaethje to become champion next year.
“Justin Gaethje is no longer just a pugilist who goes out there and swings for the fences and wants to brawl,” Chandler said on his YouTube channel. “Justin Gaethje is on a quest to win a world title, and I think Justin Gaethje will go out there and win a world title. Whether it’s Makhachev or Oliveira, Gaethje’s going to get that title fight next.
I think Justin Gaethje is the UFC lightweight champion by the first quarter of next year. I think he beats Islam. I think he beats Oliveira. Justin Gaethje has cleaned up. He already had all the attributes, he already had the cardio, the speed, the power, he’s got great wrestling defense. He already had all the attributes. But now, him honing in those skills, it’s gonna be tough for one of those dudes to beat him, I think.” (BJPenn.com)
Islam Makhachev exposes Michael Chandler
In response to this, Makhachev would make a post to Twitter calling out Chandler for picking against him, and supplied screenshots of all the times that Chandler has done it in the past
‘Shoutout to my loyal haters’- Islam Makhachev