To Michael Chandler, nothing has changed about the way he fights – only his opposition, which explains the extra blood he’s donated to the octagon canvas.
“I believe I fight very similar to I have always fought,” Chandler stated recently on The MMA Hour .. “Same speed, same tenacity – been beat down and then come back in fights. It happens. But it wasn’t the greatest .”
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UFC President Dana White labeled Chandler “our Arturo Gatti” after another thriller, a UFC 281 slugfest that earned him his fourth performance bonus in five octagon bouts – and again left his face a mess.
Whatever Chandler has lacked in recent wins, he’s made up for in acclaim. His 2021 fight with Justin Gaethje earned “Fight of the Year.” His meeting with Poirier is likely to make best-of lists, as is his previous performance, a front-kick knockout of Tony Ferguson at UFC 274. He’s now aiming for the largest title in MMA after thrice winning the Bellator championship.
From the outset, Chandler has fought the UFC’s toughest competition at 155 pounds; he has never dipped below the top-10 among his five opponents. According to UFC stats, he’s taken a total of 263 fights and been knocked down three times in five fights. He absorbs an average of 4. 58 strikes per minute under the UFC and now-defunct Strikeforce banner.
Gatti is best known for his trio of slugfests with Micky Ward in which he and the Irish fighter absorbed several multiples of what Chandler has taken in five fights; in the first fight alone, the Italian-born fighter absorbed 268 punches, according to BoxRec.
“Fight of the Night” is considered an honor for some UFC fighters, while others dread it. Winning the $50,000 bonus means both fighters took a tremendous amount of punishment. That’s the result of Chandler’s move to the major league.
“You are fighting some of the most skilled fighters in the world. I try to put myself in positions where I can take down damage. Although that is not my style or a technique, I have won many fights using that strategy. He said that he was impressed by the speed with which he fought. “And I just think it’s the largest platform now. This has made everything more efficient. It gives you momentum and helps you to keep your train moving.
” I honestly believe that I have always been this way. I just think I’m fighting the toughest guys on the planet right now. The toughest guys on the planet at 155 pounds reside in the top-five of the UFC, and I’ve come in and fought five of the toughest guys I possibly could, which is exactly what I said I wanted to do in my first meeting with [UFC CBO] Hunter [Campbell]. I wanted to prove either I was who I said I was, or I wasn’t. Either I go to the UFC and I go 0-2 and I get cut, and I can live with that. Thank goodness it hasn’t turned out this way. But I was determined to face the most difficult guys .”
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Another consequence of his tough fights are concerns for his longevity. Prior to joining the UFC, he fought 26 times as a pro and participated in several bouts that would have won “Fight of the Night” had they been in the octagon – namely, his pair of bouts with former multi-title winner Eddie Alvarez. He was stopped in a superfight with featherweight champ Patricio Pitbull at Bellator 221 and was knocked out by Will Brooks in their rematch at Bellator 131.
When Chandler was asked if there were any concerns about damage caused by his wife (a doctor who had just removed his stitches for the Poirier contest), Chandler replied that he will know when to move on.
“Obviously, if there were any glaring problems, if there was any health issues that both of us thought, ‘Wow, OK, this thing’s taking a toll’ – praise god, it’s not – but I think she trusts me to know when it’s time to hang it up, it’s time to hang it up,” he said. She said, “When things need to cool off or slow down, she trusts me. Because she knows I care about her, my sons, my family and what I do outside of MMA. She knows I love all of that so much more than I love MMA, and I love MMA, and I love the opportunities, and I love the platforms, and I love god’s calling that he’s put on my life.
” She’s capable of handling it. It’s okay with her blood. … But each fight is a new opportunity to recalibrate, to reassess, to look at everything, and we’re still moving foward. There is still a lot to tread on my tires and I have a lot more fights in front of me. She has been an amazing supporter, with a great deal of patience. She is a great supporter and mentor every time I have to pass through these training camps .”
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Chandler has also a sense humor about his name. His family joins him in making fun of the results of his recent slugfests. He adopts the name “Ice Face” as a way to respond to his swelling face. He donned an ice mask recently for “mean tweets” video.
Source: https://www.mmafighting.com/2022/11/27/23479173/michael-chandler-gets-real-on-taking-damage-arturo-gatti-comparisons?rand=96749
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