What’s Next for Michael Chandler?
UFC 314 has officially come and gone. With the event being one of the most anticipated in recent memory, a key selling point for UFC 314 was Michael Chandler vs. Paddy Pimblett. Chandler, a war-hardened vet, is arguably the most exciting fighter in the UFC. Win, lose, or draw, Chandler is always known to find himself in a war. However, at UFC 314, that wasn’t the case. Paddy Pimblett thoroughly dominated Chandler en route to a third-round TKO. Due to this result, many are imagining what could be next for Michael Chandler.
By the time Michael Chandler made his UFC debut in 2021, he already had 25 professional fights to his name. Being a former multi-time Bellator Lightweight Champion and having an explosive fighting style, Chandler was a name that many UFC fans were ecstatic to see make the jump to the world’s biggest MMA promotion. Michael Chandler’s UFC career started with a bang, as he knocked out Dan Hooker with a ferocious punch in the first round. After such a thunderous debut, Chandler fought in his first and only UFC Championship opportunity.
Michael Chandler would fight for the UFC Lightweight Championship at UFC 262. Chandler would explode on his opponent, Charles Oliveira, early, almost finishing the Brazilian. The tables would turn in the second round when Charles Oliveira caught Michael Chandler with a hook that would end his night as well as his championship aspirations. Ironically enough, even though Chandler was defeated, many would consider this fight to be Chandler's peak in the UFC.
Following Michael Chandler’s defeat at UFC 262, he would go on to have a series of fights against the best fighters the lightweight division has to offer. Chandler would seemingly embark on a quest to give the fans the best fights possible, with every fight post UFC 262 earning him a post-fight bonus. On the other hand, Chandler would only win one out of his four-fight stretch. This would lead him to fight Paddy Pimblett, a rising star in the UFC, looking to solidify himself against a top opponent.
‘The Baddy’ would do just that. Pimblett would destroy Michael Chandler, not only on the feet but on the ground as well. To make things worse, Chandler wasn’t able to use the explosive offense that kept him in most fights. After only landing 11 strikes the entire fight, Chandler was taken to the ground and finished by ground and pound. Michael Chandler is 38 now. In a division that favors the young and hungry, perhaps the next step for ‘Iron’ is retirement. Chandler has been competing professionally in MMA for 16 years and has nothing left to prove. With a legacy to be proud of, there should be no shame if Michael Chandler decided to hang the gloves up.
