Returning Chandler’s jibe, Makhachev noted that the former Bellator champ has only two UFC wins, both against fighters coming off a loss. The 31-year-old Dagestani standout wrote on Twitter:
Islam Makhachev’s manager Ali Abdelaziz, who has been a vocal supporter of the Dagestani brigade, also chimed in. Seemingly labeling Chandler a clout chaser, the Dominance MMA CEO wrote:
Chandler scored a highlight-reel KO win over Dan Hooker in his UFC debut. ‘The Hangman’ was coming off a decision loss to Dustin Poirier in a five-round ‘Fight of the Night’ war.
‘Iron’ then went on to drop a title shot against Charles Oliveira and a subsequent decision against Justin Gaethje in a battle for the ages to come. Chandler has since bounced back with a knockout of Tony Ferguson, who was already on a three-fight skid.
Michael Chandler on Islam Makhachev
While Islam Makhachev is one of the most game fighters on the UFC roster, the Dagestani contender hasn’t faced elite competition yet. Makhachev was slated to meet Beneil Dariush before fighting for the title, but the matchup never came to fruition as ‘Benny’ pulled out due to an injury.
Although Makhachev has been thoroughly dominant in his ten-fight win streak, Michael Chandler claims that the upcoming lightweight title challenger hasn’t really faced any notable opponents. While ‘Iron’ isn’t discrediting Makhachev, he believes it might be ‘premature’ to heap praise on him just yet. Chandler told MMA Fighting:
Watch Chandler’s interview with MMA Fighting below:
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