Tag: Michael Chandler

John McCarthy says Michael Chandler is Cooked: ‘He’s Hit Tony Ferguson Status’

John McCarthy says Michael Chandler is Cooked: 'He's Hit Tony Ferguson Status'Former UFC referee ‘Big’ John McCarthy thinks Michael Chandler has finally hit Tony Ferguson status. After sitting on the…

John McCarthy says Michael Chandler is Cooked: 'He's Hit Tony Ferguson Status'

Former UFC referee ‘Big’ John McCarthy thinks Michael Chandler has finally hit Tony Ferguson status.

After sitting on the sidelines for two years waiting for a fight that never came to fruition, Chandler returned to the Octagon at UFC 309 for a rematch with former lightweight world champion Charles Oliveira. Despite a valiant effort and an electrifying fifth round, Chandler came up short on the scorecards.

Michael Chandler

With the loss, Chandler has lost four of his last five under the UFC banner with his only win during that run coming against Ferguson at UFC 274.

Looking back on the ex-Bellator titleholder’s performance in MSG, McCarthy suggested that Chandler’s career is on a downward trajectory, similar to that of ‘El Cucuy’ who infamously lost eight straight before being shown the door earlier this year.

“Michael Chandler has hit Tony Ferguson status — just being honest … absolutely,” McCarthy said in a recent episode of his WEIGHING IN podcast with Josh Thomson. “Who’s he going to beat? He looked slow. You cannot look slow in the lightweight division. You’re going to die, and he got outwrestled by a jiu-jitsu guy” (h/t Sportskeeda).

Where does Michael Chandler go from here?

Where Chandler goes from here is anyone’s guess.

Unfortunately, ‘Iron’ wasted a large chunk of his time waiting for a fight with Conor McGregor that, in all honestly, was never going to happen.

Michael Chandler

Of course, that didn’t stop Chandler from calling out the Irishman following his latest loss, but we’ve got a feeling the UFC won’t be itching to book McGregor anytime soon after he was found liable for the 2018 rape of a woman inside a Dublin hotel.

With a losing record and rematches against Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje unlikely, McCarthy doesn’t quite know where Chandler fits in one of the UFC’s most talent-rich divisions.

“Dustin [Poirier] doesn’t want to fight him again because of the same things that he f*cking ended up doing in the Oliveira fight,” McCarthy said. “Now I always sit there and say, ‘If you’re not cheating, you’re not trying,’ but don’t sit there and f*cking tell me that he didn’t hit him to the back of the head.

“I don’t give a f*ck if your fist is going on the other side of his ear when your forearm is hitting him to the back of the head, it’s the f*cking back of the head. … I’m not saying he’s got seven losses in a row (like Ferguson) — I’m saying he’s on the same path as Tony Ferguson.”

Michael Chandler

Michael Chandler Compared With Tony Ferguson After Latest Loss: ‘Who’s He Going To Beat?’

Former MMA referee John McCarthy did not mince his words when analyzing UFC lightweight contender Michael Chandler’s latest setback inside the Octagon. Chandler returned from a two-year layoff earlier this month, running it back with former champion Charles Oliveira in the co-main event of the UFC 309 pay-per-view at Madison Square Garden. After an unsuccessful […]

Former MMA referee John McCarthy did not mince his words when analyzing UFC lightweight contender Michael Chandler’s latest setback inside the Octagon.

Chandler returned from a two-year layoff earlier this month, running it back with former champion Charles Oliveira in the co-main event of the UFC 309 pay-per-view at Madison Square Garden.

After an unsuccessful wait to share the cage with Conor McGregor, “Iron” finally moved on and set his sights on redemption opposite “Do Bronx,” who previously knocked him out in 2021.

But the former Bellator champion ultimately failed in that pursuit, suffering a lopsided unanimous decision defeat after five rounds of mostly dominance from Oliveira in New York City.

With the result, Chandler has now lost two straight and four of his six UFC fights. And that’s left one prominent figure in the sport giving a grim outlook on the 38-year-old’s status on MMA’s biggest stage.

During an episode of his Weighing In podcast alongside former UFC fighter Josh Thomson, McCarthy reflected on Chandler’s convincing defeat to Oliveira, which saw the Brazilian experience little adversity until a late surge from the American in round five.

The former referee and Bellator commentator compared him with another veteran fighter in Tony Ferguson, who has lost eight straight since his last victory in 2019.

“Michael Chandler has hit Tony Ferguson status. Just being honest,” McCarthy said. “Who’s he going to beat? He looked slow at times. You want to talk about looking slow, you cannot look slow in the lightweight division. You’re gonna die. And he got outwrestled by a jiu-jitsu guy.

“Michael Chandler got crushed. I mean, just crushed,” McCarthy continued. “The two years (away) showed that not only did Michael Chandler not improve as a fighter, but he declined, and he watched his career start to expire. … I like Michael Chandler as a person, and I think he’s great for the sport…(but) he’s calling out Conor McGregor after losing again — what the hell?! You can’t do that!”

Should Chandler get his wish in 2025, he may be departing the 155-pound division next time out.

During his post-fight Octagon interview, “Iron” once again called out McGregor despite his past failure to secure the lucrative fight. Should that finally come to fruition in the new year, it stands to reason that it would take place at welterweight.

Oliveira, meanwhile, has his eyes on regaining the ultimate prize. He’s widely expected to challenge the winner of Islam Makhachev and Arman Tsarukyan’s championship rematch, which is reportedly in the works for UFC 311 in Los Angeles early next year.

Michael Chandler Ridiculed By Ex-Bellator Champion after UFC 309 Loss: “He Looked Like Crap”

Michael Chandler UFC 309Not only did Michael Chandler suffer another loss to Charles Oliveira at UFC 309, but he is now getting…

Michael Chandler UFC 309

Not only did Michael Chandler suffer another loss to Charles Oliveira at UFC 309, but he is now getting blasted for it by a former rival from his Bellator days.

The rematch between Chandler and Oliveira was over three years in the making, and it did not disappoint. Both fighters are known for their exciting intensity, and it was on full display during the match. Oliveira proved once again to be the more well-rounded fighter, and he pretty much excelled anywhere the fight took him.

Overall, it was another thrilling battle between two of the most exciting lightweights In the UFC. While Chandler would once again lose, he did demonstrate his absurd amount of heart and even shined for a moment or two in the closing rounds. The fight ended with a roar of approval from the crowd, but Chandler had haters lurking in the woodworks who were ready to chime in about his performance.

Brent Primus Laughs at Michael Chandler’s “Crappy” Performance

While being interviewed by MMA Fighting, Primus took the opportunity to trash his former opponent and admitted to feeling much joy while watching Michael Chandler get mauled by Oliveira (again).

“Man, he looked like crap in his last fight,” Primus said about Chandler’s loss when speaking to MMA Fighting (H/T BJ Penn.com). “I could not believe that. I think Chandler looked like crap. His footwork, he was falling everywhere. He was throwing his right hand like he was throwing a baseball. I was not impressed with his performance. His callout was kind of cringey.”

Later on, Primus would admit that much of his disdain for Chandler stems from his dirty fighting style. “I don’t like that guy. I think Chandler, he’s a cheater,” Primus said. “I feel like he’s a dirty fighter. I just don’t like that guy at all. Watching Oliveira pick him apart like that it was kind of fun to see for sure. I liked it.”

What did you think of Michael Chandler’s performance at UFC 309?

Michael Chandler Describes Charles Oliveira Rematch As His ‘Most Painful’ Fight Yet

Michael Chandler’s latest appearance in the Octagon turned out to be one of the most punishing of his career. Chandler ran it back with his former foe Charles Oliveira in the co-main event of UFC 309 last Saturday, only to fall short in a brutal five-round battle. “Do Bronx” surged out of the gates, dominating […]

Michael Chandler’s latest appearance in the Octagon turned out to be one of the most punishing of his career.

Chandler ran it back with his former foe Charles Oliveira in the co-main event of UFC 309 last Saturday, only to fall short in a brutal five-round battle. “Do Bronx” surged out of the gates, dominating the first four rounds with his striking and then smothering Chandler on the ground.

It seemed like Oliveira was on cruise control toward victory but “Iron” found a second wind in the final round, landing heavy shots that stunned the Brazilian. However, Chandler’s late rally wasn’t enough.

During a recent appearance on Bussin’ With The Boys, “Iron” revealed that his rematch with Oliveira left him with the most severe damage he’s ever experienced in a fight.

The injuries sustained were the worst of his career, bringing with them intense pain, swelling, and a host of other physical setbacks.

“Iron” and Oliveira first collided at UFC 262 in May 2021, where the vacant 155-pound title was on the line. On that night, “Do Bronx” proved to be too much for Chandler and secured a stunning second-round knockout to claim the belt.

At UFC 309, Chandler made his long-awaited return to the Octagon after a two-year hiatus, during which he patiently waited for a high-profile matchup against Conor McGregor.

The former Bellator champion was initially booked to face “The Notorious” at UFC 303 in June, but the fight was ultimately called off after McGregor suffered an injury less than a month before the scheduled bout.

Michael Chandler Says First-Round Injury Affected Performance Against Charles Oliveira At UFC 309

UFC lightweight contender Michael Chandler believes he fought “23 minutes” of his rematch against Charles Oliveira with a severely compromised leg. Chandler’s negative Octagon record took further damage at this past weekend’s UFC 309 pay-per-view, where he fell to 2-4 since making the switch from Bellator to the sport’s leading promotion a number of years […]

UFC lightweight contender Michael Chandler believes he fought “23 minutes” of his rematch against Charles Oliveira with a severely compromised leg.

Chandler’s negative Octagon record took further damage at this past weekend’s UFC 309 pay-per-view, where he fell to 2-4 since making the switch from Bellator to the sport’s leading promotion a number of years ago.

In the co-main event at Madison Square Garden, Oliveira added his name to the American’s losing column once again, this time in much more convincing fashion.

While the Brazilian had to mount a memorable comeback to get the better of “Iron” back in 2022, he was on top from the word go when the pair ran it back. And after weathering a late burst from Chandler in round five, “Do Bronx” had his hand raised by way of a lopsided decision.

Given the success and near-title win he had against Oliveira previously, many were expecting more from the ex-Bellator champ. And that was evidently the case for the man himself, who believes he was prevented from competing at his best by a physical issue.

During a recent appearance on the Bussin’ With The Boys podcast, Chandler suggested that an early grappling exchange with Oliveira in the first round injured his knee, thus preventing him from employing his usual forward-pressure style.

“I think something happened to the knee in that first exchange when he had the leg and I did that full 360, he did a kneebar thing, because I walked back to the stool and I looked down at my left leg and it was not working right,” Chandler said. “It wasn’t stepping, it wasn’t catching, it was unstable, it was weird. … You know what it feels like to be on a solid foundation, to walk forward, move forward, attack, and I just wasn’t. 

“Moving backwards was no problem, so my body and my brain was telling me moving backwards was cool but moving forward, planting and being in his face, pressure — even if you go back and watch the fifth [round] … whenever I was pursuing him, my leg was almost flopping rather than stalking and moving forward,” Chandler continued. “We’ll see what happened, but essentially for 23 minutes of that fight I don’t know if the leg was really working that well.”

Regardless, that won’t affect Oliveira’s celebrations as he looks ahead to an expected showdown opposite whoever emerges from Islam Makhachev’s defense against Arman Tsarukyan with the lightweight gold in their possession.

Chandler, meanwhile, made his intentions for 2025 clear inside the Octagon, once again calling for MMA superstar Conor McGregor to face him for his comeback fight — should that ever happen.

Conor McGregor Gives First Reaction To Michael Chandler’s UFC 309 Loss: ‘Mad Little Fellow’

Former two-division UFC champion Conor McGregor gave some surprising props to Michael Chandler a couple of days on from his defeat this past weekend. Chandler made the walk for the first time in two years at Saturday’s UFC 309 pay-per-view, bringing an end to his long wait to share the cage with McGregor by running […]

Former two-division UFC champion Conor McGregor gave some surprising props to Michael Chandler a couple of days on from his defeat this past weekend.

Chandler made the walk for the first time in two years at Saturday’s UFC 309 pay-per-view, bringing an end to his long wait to share the cage with McGregor by running it back with ex-lightweight kingpin Charles Oliveira instead.

“Iron” had previously come inches away from defeating “Do Bronx” and becoming a UFC titleholder in just his second Octagon outing. A miraculous comeback from the Brazilian on that occasion, however, spoiled Chandler’s plans.

And in the co-main event at Madison Square Garden, Oliveira did so once again by establishing himself as the likely next in line for either Islam Makhachev or Arman Tsarukyan.

Oliveira’s second victory over Chandler came in much more convincing fashion, with “Do Bronx” dominating the American en route to a lopsided unanimous decision. The former Bellator champ did have his moments late in the day, and they were seemingly enough to get some respect from “The Notorious.”

After remaining silent on fight night, McGregor finally gave his reaction to Chandler’s display in a now-deleted X post Monday night.

Conor McGregor on Michael Chandle

“Cut Michael Chandler! Just kidding, good fight,” McGregor wrote. “Mad little fellow is Michael. I like em’!”

McGregor’s comment was without a response to Chandler’s post-fight callout. Despite his previously failed wait, “Iron” once again had the Dubliner’s name on his lips as he pursues the lucrative showdown opposite his fellow TUF 31 coach in 2025.

For now, the Irishman has matters to attend to in the court room. He’s currently embroiled in a civil action trial at Dublin’s Irish High Court after being accused of sexual assault.