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Michael Chandler is presently on a two-fight winning streak, having stopped both his opponents via emphatic first-round knockouts. Chandler’s previous fight was an impressive KO victory against former UFC Lightweight Champion Benson Henderson.
The fight happened under the Bellator MMA banner, following which, Chandler parted ways with Santa Monica based company and subsequently signed with the UFC.
Michael Chandler reveals that he is still ready to fight Tony Ferguson on short notice at UFC 254
Tony Ferguson suffered a devastating TKO loss to Justin Gaethje back in May of this year.
Ferguson, who was on a 12-fight winning streak prior to his loss to Gaethje, has consistently said that he intends to fight, return to winning ways and earn a shot at the UFC Lightweight Title.
Ferguson was rumored to be facing fellow Lightweight contender Dustin Poirier at UFC 254. However, negotiations for the fight gradually fell apart.
Michael Chandler has been roped in by the UFC as the backup fighter in case either Khabib Nurmagomedov or Justin Gaethje is unable to compete in their all-important main event bout.
Speaking to MMA Junkie, Michael Chandler referenced the fact that he is serving as the backup fighter for the UFC 254 headlining bout and added that he’s still ready to fight Tony Ferguson on short notice at the event. Chandler stated:
“I’m already going Oct. 24th, I’m already making weight, so yes, I would definitely fight him. He’s kind of the only guy that I’m interested in fighting right now. It’s already been talked about, so you don’t add any names to that hat whenever a guy in the top five is already talked about.”
Furthermore, Chandler claimed that UFC offered Dustin Poirier and Tony Ferguson an opportunity to fight him. However, both of them declined the offer.
Chandler also highlighted that Poirier has now seemingly agreed to fight Conor McGregor next, with McGregor too accepting to face Poirier.
Moreover, Chandler explained that given the fact that Poirier is set to face McGregor, a fight against Tony Ferguson is the only one that currently makes sense for him.
Michael Chandler reiterated that Ferguson had turned down a fight against him, adding that El Cucuy's decision has resulted in both of them missing out on the opportunity to compete in the high-profile co-main event on the UFC 254 fight card.
Besides, Chandler emphasized that he truly believes that he could beat Ferguson and thereby immediately cementing his position as a contender in the UFC Lightweight Championship picture.
What’s next for Michael Chandler?
The consensus in the MMA community is that Michael Chandler is unlikely to be booked in a fight against Tony Ferguson at UFC 254.
On the contrary, Chandler is likely to fulfill his responsibility of making weight for UFC 254 and serve as the backup/replacement fighter for the event’s headlining bout.
Do you concur with Michael Chandler’s opinion regarding him being able to defeat Tony Ferguson? Sound off in the comments.
