Michael Chandler: Ilia Topuria rips into Michael Chandler as Joe Rogan backs brutal critique: "You don't see skill"

Ilia Topuria and Joe Rogan recently criticized Michael Chandler as a fighter, following his TKO defeat at the hands of Paddy Pimblett at UFC 314 last weekend. Chandler faced Pimblett in the co-main event, with the American hoping to secure a win against the rising contender in order to compete at the top of the division once again.

That wasn't the case, however, as 'The Baddy' dominated the fight, utilizing his striking and grappling to leave 'Iron' beaten and bloodied before finishing him in the third round.

The defeat by Pimblett now means Chandler is 2-5 in his UFC career, having lost his last three bouts. Despite the 38-year-old being considered one of the most entertaining fighters in the promotion, there have been a number of fans who have called for him to retire in order to prevent him from suffering any long-term damage.

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With many fans and fighters weighing in on Michael Chandler and his future, Ilia Topuria and Joe Rogan have offered their two cents. Speaking on episode #166 of the JRE MMA Show, the Georgian-Spaniard stated he has never felt as though the American was ever a top contender, saying:

"For me, Chandler, he never was an extraordinary fighter. He is average as a fighter. Who did he beat? He beat Dan Hooker and Tony Ferguson who was almost 40...You don't see technique, you don't see skills. You see a great fight because as a fan it's very entertaining... But if you really think about it, you don't see skills."

Rogan agreed, adding:

"Honestly, we got Michael Chandler after his prime. If you go watch Chandler vs. Eddie Alvarez in Bellator, those were f*cking crazy fights."

Check out their comments below (18:00):

Ilia Topuria reveals fight plans for 2025

Ilia Topuria's recent revelation about his fight plans for the year has caused some contention amongst MMA fans.

In an interview with TASS, Topuria revealed that he's hoping to fight in the summer, but is willing to wait even longer if it means he'll be fighting Islam Makhachev for a chance at the lightweight title. He added that as of right now, he's not willing to consider fighting a contender first either, meaning it is Makhachev or nothing for the former featherweight champ.

Topuria said:

"I want to fight in the summer. But if that doesn't work out, I'm ready for a title fight in the fall. We're not considering other options."

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Will began his tenure at Sportskeeda as an MMA writer over 2 years ago and has penned over 1800 pieces so far, including 35+ exclusives, which have garnered close to 5 million views.

Will graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Media and Communications from Bournemouth University, where he was also a valued member of their communications team. His degree heavily focused on social media and writing, which eventually led him toward sports writing.

He turned into an MMA fan after witnessing Conor McGregor’s 13-second TKO win over Jose Aldo at UFC 194 in 2015. The Irishman sits at the top of his list of top-five MMA fighters of all time, which also includes world champions like Demetrious Johnson, Michael Bisping, Max Holloway, and Georges St-Pierre.

Will especially enjoys working on event days and feels his contribution to Sportskeeda’s UFC 300 coverage was one of the high points of his time with the organization. He ensures his articles are accurate by going through multiple sources, which also helps his writing be as informative as possible.

His interests away from work include football, gaming, live streaming, and listening to music.

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Edited by Ritwik Kumar