Michael Chandler in UFC is one of the most-hyped fighters, but many think he does not quite live up to expectations. He is a solid contender with plenty of opportunities presented by the UFC to consolidate that position, but unfortunately, he has fallen short time and time again when it mattered.
Michael had a buzz generated on his behalf because he came from an illustrious wrestling background, and, during his Bellator days, he was a force to be reckoned with.
However, his UFC exploits somehow never matched the ample amount of buzz generated around him. Michael Chandler is chased as a flop fighter simply in the UFC.
The Wrestling Background of Michael Chandler and Entrance to UFC
Michael Chandler comes from a very eminent wrestling background, having made a name for himself in Bellator before making the transition to the UFC.
In terms of his extensive experience, he held the Lightweight Championship in Bellator and became known for explosive power and aggressive fighting styles. With his entrance into the UFC, fans and analysts expected him to control the lightweight division.
Chandler even went as far as contradicting his UFC performances in a Joe Rogan podcast, stating he could nullify Islam Makhachev’s wrestling and defeat him.
UFC Title for Michael Chandler
Before entering the UFC, Chandler enjoyed an impressive career inside Bellator, winning the Lightweight Championship three times.
He built a strong reputation within the sport, especially on account of those achievements, which led to assumptions that he would achieve great success in the UFC. The fact he has yet to earn a UFC title poses questions about the level of competition he faced in Bellator.
Opportunities from the UFC to Prove Himself
Upon his arrival in the UFC, Chandler was immediately given the spotlight, with the company putting him in high-profile fights against the strongest opponents within the division.
He has been fortunate enough to gain several opportunities in the UFC yet despite all that time and effort has not quite earned himself even a title fight against any relevant, top-level opponents.
The Lightweight Title Fight Against Charles Oliveira
Following the retirement of Khabib Nurmagomedov, the UFC lightweight title became vacant. The promotion organized a fight between Michael Chandler and Charles Oliveira to determine the new champion.
After a successful knockout in the second round, Oliveira secured victory over Chandler, and, with that, Chandler had a golden opportunity for the title.
The belt was subsequently defended against and lost by Oliveira to Islam Makhachev, while Chandler’s defeat was a revelation of his deficiencies and raised questions about his competencies to exist in the topmost echelon of the UFC.
Losses Against Top Lightweight Contenders
After the title match, the UFC tried to build Chandler up to get some high-profile bouts to mount a title challenge. But he did not seize any of those opportunities and took more losses.
Loss to Dustin Poirier
Chandler was matched against another top contender in the lightweight division, Dustin Poirier. Poirier is known for his striking and toughness, and in this case, there was no such thing as Chandler standing a chance.
In yet another war, Poirier submitted Chandler, ruining any potential credibility Chandler could have had as a title threat.
Loss to Justin Gaethje
Then came an important match for Chandler against Justin Gaethje, an interim lightweight champion. With violent striking and relentless pressure, Gaethje was able to overwhelm Chandler and deliver another loss.
The performance served to highlight Chandler’s inhibition in the face of elite competition in the UFC, making it easy to support the argument that Chandler cannot deal with top contenders.
Repeated Rematches with the Same Result
Incredibly, Chandler was granted rematches by the UFC with various opponents who had defeated him on previous occasions. Instead of redeeming himself, Chandler failed once more.
- Lost his rematch with Dustin Poirier.
- Lost his rematch with Charles Oliveira.
This rejection time and again proved that Chandler was neither making any improvements nor any adjustments that were going to allow him to win against top-tier fighters. The UFC laid a lot of eggs in his basket, only to see him fail to deliver again and again in all-important fights.
The End of Chandler’s Title Run?
With so many losses to top contenders, Michael Chandler is more and more widely perceived to be gone as a contender for the UFC lightweight title. He has lost to the very best fighters in the division and demonstrated an inability to solve them in the rematches.
He will probably not see another title shot unless he drastically changes his fighting style and fighting strategy. At this stage, Chandler’s UFC career seems to find hype more at play than actual results in the cage.
Conclusion
Michael Chandler entered the UFC with a lot of expectations but has failed to live up to the hype. If he had had even some measure of success against the elite lightweight fighters he has faced–Charles Oliveira, Dustin Poirier, and Justin Gaethje–he might have been considered a serious contender.
His inability to win key fights has the opposite effect: it has dented his status as a serious contender–and it appears that title aspirations are slipping away from him.
With minimal hope of avoiding serious changes shortly, he will most likely be remembered now as the most overhyped fighter in UFC history who missed on massive potential.