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With Justin Gaethje still inactive following his failed attempt to take the title from Khabib Nurmagomedov in 2020, fans and media alike are beginning to speculate as to who his next opponent will be.
Names such as Beneil Dariush, Islam Makhachev and Dan Hooker have all been circulating.
Chael Sonnen, a UFC veteran who now appears in the MMA community as a media member and analyst, has revealed who he believes 'The Highlight' should face next. His choice is one that UFC fans will no doubt be in agreement with.
Speaking recently in a video uploaded to his YouTube channel, Sonnen stated that he believes Michael Chandler should be next to square off against Justin Gaethje. He stated that:
"Michael Chandler just said Justin Gaethje is the fight that absolutley has to happen next. And you know what? Chandler's right. That fight between Gaethje and Chandler, I have always wanted to see."
Chael Sonnen on why Justin Gaethje has still not competed in 2021
Whilst a fight against Michael Chandler would be perfect for Justin Gaethje, there is still yet to be any noise in regards to an actual fight being booked.
The length of Gaethje's inactivity is continually increasing with each passing day. Sonnen revealed his own confusion at the situation.
"I don't know what's with the inactivity," stated Chael Sonnen. "Injury would always be a guess. Lack of motivation is always a guess... Lack of opponent, is that possible?"
Now that Chandler has openly called for a fight with Gaethje, there is a chance that we will see 'The Highlight' grace the octagon before the year is out, something Sonnen is clearly in support of.
"Gaethje vs. Chandler is extremely compelling... I don't know what they're ranked or even how to find it, don't know if Gaethje's been off. Don't care. Chandler's right. This is the fight. That would be one of the epic brawls ever. Those guys are going to go out and go to war. You go look at what a great fight Eddie Alvarez vs. Gaethje was, Poirier vs. Gaethje was a great contest. You're gonna have that same thing when you have these two guys that will not back down," said Sonnen.
