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On this day last year, Michael Chandler and Justin Gaethje were involved in one of the greatest MMA fights ever. The UFC lightweight elites faced off in a three-round bout at UFC 268 at the iconic Madison Square Garden in New York on November 6, 2021. They stole the show with their fearless performances.
Round one of their showdown witnessed 'Iron' put on an impressive display of his explosiveness and striking acumen against 'The Highlight'. Having stunned Gaethje with a barrage of punches, Michael Chandler tried to go all out for the finish but got countered for his efforts. 'The Highlight' managed to not only survive the round but also stun Chandler and halt his momentum.
Both fighters continued back-and-forth action in round two as well. Gaethje notably knocked Chandler down with a monstrous uppercut and almost stopped him. Regardless, 'Iron' stayed in the fight and kept firing back right until the end of the round.
The fight's third and final round saw an exhausted Chandler and Gaethje come dangerously close to finishing one another. At this point, it'd become evident that Gaethje had a slight edge over Chandler in regard to his work rate. The fight went the distance, and Gaethje was subsequently awarded the unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27) win against Chandler.
Michael Bisping on the UFC 281 "people's main-event" between Michael Chandler and Dustin Poirier
Gaethje is coming off a first-round submission loss in a UFC lightweight title bout against Charles Oliveira that transpired in May this year. 'The Highlight' is targeting a return in 2023.
Meanwhile, Chandler last fought Tony Ferguson in May, beating the latter via second-round KO. 'Iron' is set to fight Dustin Poirier in a much-awaited matchup at UFC 281 on November 13.
Taking to his YouTube channel, Michael Bisping recently addressed the upcoming Chandler vs. Poirier clash. UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev would likely defend his title against UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski in February 2023. That said, Bisping suggested that the Chandler-Poirier winner could receive the next title shot.
Besides, 'The Count' acknowledged that Chandler's a great fighter but emphasized that he's been dropped in several fights as of late. Picking Poirier to beat Chandler via third-round TKO, Michael Bisping stated:
"A fight that I think should be labeled as the people's main event is Dustin Poirier vs. Michael Chandler... Poirier is obviously looking for the TKO but Michael Chandler is very tough. However, he has been dropped. He got dropped off Tony Ferguson, he got dropped off Charles Oliveira. He has been shown to be a little bit chinny... I think he [Dustin Poirier] can put Michael Chandler away."
Watch Bisping's assessment below:
