Tag: Michael Chandler

Michael Chandler Thinks Justin Gaethje Will Be UFC Champ In 2022

UFC lightweight contender Michael Chandler gave high praise to his UFC 268 opponent, Justin Gaethje, following their three-round battle.

Despite giving Gaethje some issues in the opening minutes of the fight, Gaethje was able to deal the most damag…

Michael Chandler

UFC lightweight contender Michael Chandler gave high praise to his UFC 268 opponent, Justin Gaethje, following their three-round battle.

Despite giving Gaethje some issues in the opening minutes of the fight, Gaethje was able to deal the most damage in the later rounds and earn a unanimous decision win. Chandler and Gaethje each earned a ‘Fight of the Night’ performance bonus for their efforts in arguably one of the greatest three-round fights in recent memory.

Chandler has taken the loss in stride, even joking with his family about the significant damage he suffered to his face in the Octagon. During a recent interview with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, Chandler gave quite the prediction for what could be next for Gaethje.

“I loved what Justin Gaethje said after the fight,” Chandler said. “He’s like ‘We were born in the wrong time. We should’ve been two gladiators fighting to the death.’ The said thing is, it’s absolutely true, and that’s what I said to him after the fight. I said ‘I knew you didn’t dislike me. I knew that you knew this about me, I knew that you knew that I was your equal.’ We had a blast man, hats off to him. I think Justin Gaethje is going to be our lightweight champion by the middle of next year.”

Michael Chandler Vs. Justin Gaethje Could Happen Again

Gaethje is more than likely next in line for the lightweight title shot and could face the winner of Charles Oliveira vs. Dustin Poirier. Oliveira will make his first title defense against Poirier in the main event of UFC 269. Chandler is hoping to return sometime at the start of 2022 and has recently expressed interest in a Conor McGregor fight.

If Chandler’s prediction comes to fruition and Gaethje earns the lightweight title next year, we could see a Chandler vs. Gaethje five-round rematch for the title. After their epic battle at UFC 268, many fans wouldn’t mind seeing these two fight again with more on the line.

Do you think Michael Chandler and Justin Gaethje will fight again at some point?

Continue Reading Michael Chandler Thinks Justin Gaethje Will Be UFC Champ In 2022 at MMA News.

Poirier: I’d Beat Gaethje & Chandler If They Fought Me Like At UFC 268

UFC lightweight contender Dustin Poirier believes he’d beat both Justin Gaethje and Michael Chandler if they fought him like they did each other at UFC 268.

After falling short of gold in their respective prior UFC outings, #2-ranked Gaethje and #5…

Dustin Poirier, UFC 268: Chandler vs. Gaethje

UFC lightweight contender Dustin Poirier believes he’d beat both Justin Gaethje and Michael Chandler if they fought him like they did each other at UFC 268.

After falling short of gold in their respective prior UFC outings, #2-ranked Gaethje and #5-ranked Chandler met in what many presumed was a title eliminator earlier this month. In the UFC 268 main card opener, the two 155-pound stars thrilled a sold-out Madison Square Garden with a three-round war.

Throughout a back-and-forth 15 minutes, both men had success, rocking each other with clean, hard shots. In the end, as most would have predicted for a striking battle that went the distance, it was “The Highlight” who secured a unanimous decision victory.

Poirier Reveals What He’d Do If Gaethje & Chandler Fought Him The Same Way

Having rebounded from his unification fight loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov last October, Gaethje has now likely secured his place opposite the lightweight champion in 2022.

If that’s the case, the former interim titleholder will either face Charles Oliveira for the first time or will have a second collision in the Octagon with Poirier. “Do Bronx” is set to defend his belt against “The Diamond” in the UFC 269 main event next month.

During an appearance on Ariel Helwani’s The MMA Hour, Poirier discussed the matchup that likely decided who he’ll face in his first defense should he be crowned champion on December 11. Addressing Chandler and Gaethje’s performances, which saw both throw caution to the wind and leave themselves open to big strikes, the Louisianan suggested they couldn’t enter a fight against him with the same mindset.

“If they fight me the way they fought that night, I beat both those guys.”

According to Poirier, the styles and strategy utilized by his fellow top-five contenders at UFC 268 would not work in a title fight. He claimed both would be “matadored” should they attempt a similar display when competing for gold.

“Nah, you can’t (fight that way in a title bout). You have to tighten it up. You have to be more technical. You have to be a thinking man, not just a brute in there, not just a wrecking ball, or you’re gonna get matadored. And that’s what I would do to those guys if they fought me that way.”

Do you agree with Dustin Poirier? Would he beat the uber-aggressive UFC 268 iterations of Gaethje and Chandler?

Continue Reading Poirier: I’d Beat Gaethje & Chandler If They Fought Me Like At UFC 268 at MMA News.

Film Room: Michael Chandler Shares Slow-Mo’ Clip Of UFC 268 Classic

For months, fans salivated over the mere thought of Justin Gaethje and Michael Chandler competing in their UFC 268 bout. And when it finally happened, boy did it live up to the expectations.

Justin Gaethje had his arm raised on November 6. But for…

Justin Gaethje, Michael Chandler

For months, fans salivated over the mere thought of Justin Gaethje and Michael Chandler competing in their UFC 268 bout. And when it finally happened, boy did it live up to the expectations.

Justin Gaethje had his arm raised on November 6. But for perhaps the first time in his lifelong sporting career, Chandler did not see the loss—as a loss. Speaking to Ariel Helwani on the MMA Hour, here is what the former Bellator champion had to say about this out-of-body experience.

“I don’t want to justify losing ever. I want to win more than anybody. I do things right, I believe that I deserve to win. It was the first time in my life, where I got my hand grabbed by the ref, and Justin Gaethje is over there, and I’m like ‘Oh shoot, I forgot there’s actually going to be a winner and a loser here right now,’ because I was having that much fun.

“It was a loss, but if there was ever a loss that felt like a win, this was one. Y’all were the beneficiaries of it. We all had a good time that night, it was a historic night, and here we are, we move forward” – Michael Chandler

Thursday, Chandler shared an exquisite piece of cinematography of the UFC 268 opening classic on Instagram. Peep it out below.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CWa6G9oALbP/

“Fifty six seconds of filthy slow motion mixed with epic music for your viewing pleasure.
–
See you at the top!” Chandler posted, written in the fashion of a true hypeman who truly lived it.

Both Gaethje and Chandler exited Madison Square Garden as immortalized men, in the same fashion as the many other sports greats that preceded them.

To say Michael Chandler is taking his loss in high spirits would be an understatement. That’s because whenever you create great art, everybody wins.

UFC 268: Gaethje vs. Chandler
UFC 268: Gaethje vs. Chandler (Image Credit: Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)

Continue Reading Film Room: Michael Chandler Shares Slow-Mo’ Clip Of UFC 268 Classic at MMA News.

Michael Chandler “Glad” UFC 268 War With Gaethje Wasn’t Five Rounds

UFC lightweight contender Michael Chandler is relieved that his barnburner with Justin Gaethje at UFC 268 was three rounds rather than five.

After falling short of the 155-pound mountaintop at UFC 262 in May, where he suffered a TKO loss at the han…

UFC 268: Gaethje vs. Chandler

UFC lightweight contender Michael Chandler is relieved that his barnburner with Justin Gaethje at UFC 268 was three rounds rather than five.

After falling short of the 155-pound mountaintop at UFC 262 in May, where he suffered a TKO loss at the hands of Charles Oliveira, Chandler hoped to bounce straight back to the title in his third promotional outing earlier this month. In his way was Gaethje, a brawler who also failed to capture the belt in his prior outing. “The Highlight,” who held the interim strap in 2020, became the latest beaten name added to Khabib Nurmagomedov’s perfect record last October.

After 15 minutes of thrilling action in front of a sold-out Madison Square Garden, it was Gaethje who left the Octagon with a likely title shot secured. But his unanimous decision victory certainly didn’t come easy. The pair threw hard for the contest’s duration, rocking each other with some brutal shots. Even in defeat, Chandler’s stock certainly didn’t drop in New York City.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CWD5kZIrpUI/

Chandler: I Could Have Finished Gaethje In 4th Or 5th Round

As with most Fight of the Year contenders that only ran for three rounds, many wish the clash between Michael Chandler and Justin Gaethje had been scheduled for five frames. However, the former three-time Bellator Lightweight Champion doesn’t share that sentiment.

During an appearance on Ariel Helwani’s The MMA Hour, Chandler was asked what he’d have thought about a further 10 minutes with Gaethje. Despite suggesting he could have finished “The Highlight” with the extra time, “Iron” said the damage both men took in 15 minutes was enough.

“I don’t know, I’m glad it wasn’t. At the pace we were going… Truthfully I would’ve had just as good a chance of maybe finishing him in the fourth or the fifth, because the fight was going like that. I think both of us were landing big shots. He was landing big shots, I was landing big shots. We both got hurt, we both got wobbled. I’m glad it wasn’t a five round fight. We both took as much damage as we needed to take in 15 minutes. He gets to go off and hopefully gets that title shot. I think he goes and beats Dustin Poirier, or Charles Oliveira, middle of next year. Then maybe we’ll set up a rematch when I get a win or two. We’ll see what happens. I’m glad it was only 15 minutes,” Chandler said.

Chandler also suggested that a three-round clash made more sense for the kind of fast-paced brawl we saw on November 5. The 35-year-old believes a 25-minute distance would simply have enforced energy conservation tactics.

“In a lot of ways, I think 15 minutes is better than 25 because there was no governor, there wasn’t a break pedal in sight. Neither of us touched a break pedal whatsoever. We wanted to go as hard as we possibly could for 15 minutes. 25 minutes you start venturing into the realm of your body shutting down and having to conserve energy.”

While Gaethje targets a championship fight against the winner of Dustin Poirier vs. Charles Oliveira, a bout that’s set to headline UFC 269 next month, Chandler will be looking to make his way back to title contention in 2022. If both men have successful years, perhaps we could see the pair go five rounds for gold in the not-too-distant future.

Would you like to see Michael Chandler and Justin Gaethje run it back at some point down the line?

Continue Reading Michael Chandler “Glad” UFC 268 War With Gaethje Wasn’t Five Rounds at MMA News.

Michael Chandler Apologized To Wife For Brutal Justin Gaethje Fight

UFC lightweight contender Michael Chandler apologized to his wife for the damage he took against Justin Gaethje at UFC 268.

Chandler and Gaethje put on one of the greatest three-round fights in recent memory, going back and forth on the feet from s…

Michael Chandler

UFC lightweight contender Michael Chandler apologized to his wife for the damage he took against Justin Gaethje at UFC 268.

Chandler and Gaethje put on one of the greatest three-round fights in recent memory, going back and forth on the feet from start to finish. Both men had their moments, but ultimately Gaethje would leave the cage victorious via a unanimous decision.

While Chandler was happy to be part of history with Gaethje, he wasn’t happy that he abandoned his game plan and opted to take a more aggressive approach to the bout.

“I had to apologize to my wife. I told her what the game plan was,” Chandler told Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour. “The game plan was; ‘cause I think I beat Justin Gaethje in a wrestling match 9 times out of 10. And that’s not any disrespect to him. I just think my wrestling is better than his. I could’ve used my wrestling more. I could’ve made it a little bit more of a close-quarters type of fight, instead of going out there throwing big shots.”

“But once the fight started, I reverted to who I am as a person,” Chandler continued. “I reverted to what courses through my DNA, which is just fighting, man. And I loved it.”

Chandler was coming off of his loss to Charles Oliveira for the vacant lightweight title at UFC 262. Despite a strong first round, he was TKO’d by Oliveira later on in the fight.

Gaethje has always been known as a forward-pushing fighter, dating back to his multiple reigns in Bellator as the promotion’s lightweight champion. In his UFC debut against Dan Hooker, he controlled the center of the Octagon and eventually landed a big right hand to knock him out.

Michael Chandler Has Hinted At A Conor McGregor Fight Next

Chandler has hinted on social media that he’s interested in a Conor McGregor fight in 2022. McGregor is currently recovering from the nasty leg injury he suffered at UFC 264 against Dustin Poirier and is targeting a return to competition sometime next year.

While McGregor has engaged in multiple Twitter banters in recent weeks and months, he and Chandler appear to have mutual respect for one another. The timing could work out well for a Chandler vs. McGregor fight in early 2022, but it could set up another instance where Chandler may have to apologize for the wild exchanges that may occur.

What do you think is next for Michael Chandler in the UFC?

Continue Reading Michael Chandler Apologized To Wife For Brutal Justin Gaethje Fight at MMA News.

Chandler Wants McGregor Fight For ‘A Different Reason’ Than Others

Michael Chandler is not wanting to fight Conor McGregor in order to bust out the red panties.

Following his back and forth war with Justin Gaethje at UFC 268, Chandler made it clear that he is interested in a fight with McGregor, something that the…

Michael Chandler Conor McGregor

Michael Chandler is not wanting to fight Conor McGregor in order to bust out the red panties.

Following his back and forth war with Justin Gaethje at UFC 268, Chandler made it clear that he is interested in a fight with McGregor, something that the Irishman said he was down for, though perhaps not immediately. However, the former Bellator champion wants this for a different reason than one might assume.

Speaking on The MMA Hour, Chandler explained that he has a lot of respect for the changes that McGregor has made for the UFC and the sport in general. So while a big payday might be nice, his true interest is in putting on a show for the most amount of fans possible, which is something that comes with a McGregor fight.

“Everyone wants Conor, obviously. But I think I want to fight him for a different reason. Everybody wants to fight Conor because it’s a big payday. I’m here in mixed martial arts to do big things, to be in big fights, big stages, against big opponents, in big arenas, with a lot of eyeballs. That’s what excites me about a fight with Conor,” Chandler said.

“I’ve got a lot of respect for Conor, and people will discredit what he has done because of certain things that he’s said, but what he has done is revolutionize the entire sport. The sport of mixed martial arts is better because Conor McGregor is in it. It’s bigger, and it’s got more eyeballs on it because of what Conor’s done. So to share the Octagon with him, that’s why I want to do it.

“It’s not the payday, it’s (not) the red panty night, it’s not all the other things that these fighters are chasing. Of course, do I want that? Do I want to proceed for my family? Of course. But I want epic moments of maximum amounts of impact, and that’s what you get when you fight Conor McGregor.”

Michael Chandler continued by explaining that he wishes Conor McGregor a successful recovery from his broken leg. He is aware that McGregor has options for his return, but hopes to stand apart of the shortlist.

“We’ll see what happens. Conor, I wish him well in his recovery. It looks like on his social media, he’s back out there, he’s training, he’s moving around, but he needs some time. He deserves some time. He’s set for life, he doesn’t need to fight… He fights because he loves, and he fights because of what it does for his soul, what he gets to do with his platform,” Chandler said.

Conor McGregor
Credit: Chris Unger/Getty Images

“I think it’s a fight that makes sense. I think I’m a guy who’s solidified himself in the top of the division. Conor needs to come back and get a win, but he’s also got a ton of options. We’ll see what happens.”

Would you like to see Michael Chandler serve as Conor McGregor’s next opponent?

Continue Reading Chandler Wants McGregor Fight For ‘A Different Reason’ Than Others at MMA News.