Michael Chandler suffered his hardest loss thus far since becoming a member of the UFC roster after Paddy Pimblett stopped him inside three rounds at UFC 314 with a vicious barrage of strikes on the bottom this previous Saturday evening.
Not like nearly each different efficiency he’s had contained in the octagon, Chandler didn’t flip this struggle right into a battle, and he by no means got here near ending Pimblett. As an alternative, the 38-year-old veteran slowed down dramatically after the primary spherical, and Pimblett actually began pouring on the punishment earlier than ending his evening in devastating trend.
The loss dropped Chandler to 2-5 within the UFC with this newest setback serving as his third defeat in a row general. This newest efficiency pressured UFC legend Matt Brown to query if maybe Chandler’s finest days are already behind him whereas additionally giving credit score to Pimblett on a job properly performed.
“For me there’s a little bit little bit of questions in me: OK, how nice actually was Chandler or is Paddy actually all that?” Brown mentioned on the newest episode of The Fighter vs. The Writer. “Chandler has fought the best possible, and he’s beat some actually good guys, too, particularly in Bellator. He beat some actually good guys. I assume there’s a little bit query mark in my head like was Chandler simply not UFC materials. Perhaps did his head get a little bit bit off beam? He performed a little bit bit an excessive amount of into the Arturo Gatti position that Dana [White] known as him? Perhaps purchased into that a little bit bit an excessive amount of? Or is Paddy actually all that good? He definitely appeared good final weekend. Did he appear like a champion? I’m undecided about that.
“Chandler is both previous his prime or simply wasn’t UFC materials to start with and Paddy is a high 10 man. I believe each issues might be true on the identical time. Paddy proved to me he’s a high 10 man.”
There’s undoubtedly an argument to be made that Chandler spent his finest years in Bellator and arrived within the UFC a little bit too late.
Whereas he definitely placed on some super, jaw-dropping fights since signing with the UFC, Chandler by no means discovered the identical stage of success the place he was a multi-time champion with Bellator. Then once more, Brown is aware of from private expertise that there’s no higher competitors than the fighters Chandler confronted within the UFC and maybe he simply couldn’t match that.
“Chandler, I’ve the questions was his finest years in Bellator?” Brown mentioned. “That’s what I imply, he’s an incredible fighter, I don’t wish to take something away from him. I get the sensation his finest years have been in Bellator. He obtained to the UFC a little bit bit too late, he was perhaps out of his prime, or he simply form of purchased into the hype a little bit bit an excessive amount of.
“Type of what I believed Justin Gaethje was going to show into. The man that simply goes out and places on wars for enjoyable. Form of the outdated Chris Lytle kind man, I’m simply combating for Combat of the Night time kind man. [Gaethje] definitely didn’t end up that approach, but it surely appears Michael Chandler has turned out that approach.”
So far as what comes subsequent for Chandler, that’s a little bit more durable to foretell.
Previous to UFC 314, Brown prompt that maybe Chandler may wish to begin fascinated by a brand new profession exterior of combating if he loses to Pimblett as a result of his path again to the highest of the division would appear nearly insurmountable.
Chandler all the time said that he was “not right here for a very long time, right here for a great time” whereas doubling down on his want to ultimately change into a UFC champion. With three losses in a row on his document now, Chandler won’t ever get one other shot at UFC gold once more earlier than his profession is over.
That’s why Brown wonders if this is likely to be the tip for Chandler until maybe a sure Irish famous person lastly decides to struggle once more.
“Chandler has mentioned it himself. It’s a belt or nothing,” Brown mentioned. “It seems to be at this level prefer it’s nothing. If that’s actually his mentality, if he’s going to be who he says that he’s, it’s time to stroll away and that’s fairly clear. If he desires to only maintain combating, I don’t assume there’s something flawed with that. I believe you place him in there with some guys who’re simply going to throw down and make enjoyable fights. He’s nonetheless obtained the identify the place he might be a minimum of a co-main occasion if not even a primary occasion on Combat Nights or one thing.
“In all probability not going to get any pay-per-view attracts at this level until Conor McGregor comes again. Now’s the proper time to make the Conor struggle I assume. Each on dropping streaks and nothing to essentially struggle for thus why not go struggle in bare-knuckle towards Conor or one thing. I don’t know what you do should you’re Michael Chandler. He has a great drawback. He has an enormous identify and the choices are throughout for him.”
As a lot because it pains him to say it, Brown is aware of that Chandler actually stands at a crossroads the place his profession is worried, and it’s unattainable to not marvel if we’ve already seen him struggle for the ultimate time.
“I hate saying that about such a warrior like that,” Brown mentioned about Chandler. “However that’s what it’s. He’s gained one struggle within the UFC, and I’m not counting Tony Ferguson as a result of that’s not a struggle. What do you do at this level?”
