Michael Chandler suffered his hardest loss up to now 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 night time.
Not like nearly each different efficiency he’s had contained in the octagon, Chandler didn’t flip this combat right into a struggle, 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 night time in devastating style.
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 greatest days are already behind him whereas additionally giving credit score to Pimblett on a job effectively carried out.
“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 very best, and he’s beat some actually good guys, too, particularly in Bellator. He beat some actually good guys. I suppose 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 track? He performed a little bit bit an excessive amount of into the Arturo Gatti function that Dana [White] referred to as him? Perhaps purchased into that a little bit bit an excessive amount of? Or is Paddy actually all that good? He actually regarded good final weekend. Did he appear like a champion? I’m unsure 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 could possibly 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 greatest years in Bellator and arrived within the UFC a little bit too late.
Whereas he actually placed on some super, jaw-dropping fights since signing with the UFC, Chandler by no means discovered the identical degree 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 greatest years in Bellator?” Brown mentioned. “That’s what I imply, he’s an important fighter, I don’t wish to take something away from him. I get the sensation his greatest years have been in Bellator. He bought to the UFC a little bit bit too late, he was perhaps out of his prime, or he simply type of purchased into the hype a little bit bit an excessive amount of.
“Sort of what I assumed Justin Gaethje was going to show into. The man that simply goes out and places on wars for enjoyable. Form of the previous Chris Lytle sort man, I’m simply preventing for Combat of the Evening sort man. [Gaethje] actually didn’t end up that method, nevertheless it appears Michael Chandler has turned out that method.”
So far as what comes subsequent for Chandler, that’s a little bit harder to foretell.
Previous to UFC 314, Brown suggested that perhaps Chandler might want to start thinking about a new career outdoors of preventing 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 need to finally grow to be 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 perhaps the tip for Chandler until maybe a sure Irish celebrity lastly decides to combat 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 needs to simply preserve preventing, I don’t suppose there’s something unsuitable with that. I believe you set him in there with some guys who’re simply going to throw down and make enjoyable fights. He’s nonetheless bought the identify the place he could possibly be not less than a co-main occasion if not even a important occasion on Combat Nights or one thing.
“Most likely 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 combat I suppose. Each on shedding streaks and nothing to essentially combat for therefore why not go combat in bare-knuckle in opposition to 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 unimaginable to not surprise if we’ve already seen him combat 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 received one combat within the UFC, and I’m not counting Tony Ferguson as a result of that’s not a combat. What do you do at this level?”
