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Michael Chandler has taken the UFC's most stacked division by storm. The former Bellator lightweight champion made a splashy debut by putting Dan Hooker away via TKO in the co-main event of UFC 257.
But many eyebrows were raised when Michael Chandler skyrocketed to the top of the talent-rich 155-pound weight class, earning a championship opportunity after just one win in the octagon. In a few days, Michael Chandler will face Charles Oliveira for the vacant UFC lightweight title in the main event of UFC 262.
A huge portion of fans, critics and fighters believe that Michael Chandler bypassed several noteworthy contenders such as Dustin Poirier, Justin Gaethje, Islam Makhachev and Beneil Dariush.
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Just a few days ahead of UFC 262, fans still have this question on their lips: Is Michael Chandler deserving of a title shot in the first place?
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The UFC's top lightweight contenders disapprove
Naturally, some of the aforementioned 155-pound contenders are not happy with Michael Chandler getting a title shot ahead of them. Dariush and Makhachev felt that they were cheated and they were very vocal about it.
“I’m super surprised," Dariush told MMA Junkie. "I was shocked. I’m like, ‘Really?’ I understand he’s been in the sport for a long time, so I’m not disrespecting his pedigree, but in the UFC you’ve had one fight with Dan Hooker. It just looked to me like Dan Hooker didn’t show up. I thought they would at least try to get him somebody else. I thought they were. They were trying to get him Justin [Gaethje] and now we’re here. So, [I am] shocked.”
Dariush has been with the UFC since 2014 and is currently riding a six-fight winning streak. Before Michael Chandler fights for the title, Dariush will try to extend his streak to seven wins against Tony Ferguson on the same night.
Meanwhile, Makhachev – who is on a seven-fight winning streak himself – believes Oliveira should've been booked against Poirier or Gaethje for the unoccupied lightweight throne.
“Honestly, I think Oliveira deserves it. He’s got a good win streak, but I don’t agree with Chandler being in there. He had one UFC fight and he hasn’t been tested. That first fight ended quickly. I think Justin Gaethje or Dustin Poirier could’ve fought for the title. But the UFC always has their own plans,” Makhachev told BJPenn.com.
How did Michael Chandler earn his title shot?
The lightweight division has been the UFC's crowning jewel in recent years, thanks to former champion Nurmagomedov and star contenders Conor McGregor, Poirier, Gaethje and Ferguson. But Nurmagomedov's retirement left the talent-rich division in limbo.
Gaethje, who was Khabib's final challenger, was not deemed worthy of an immediate second chance by UFC matchmakers. 'The Highlight' tapped out to Khabib at UFC 254, and as a result, he will have to get back in line before fighting for the title once again.
Poirier, on the other hand, is the obvious candidate for a title shot as he owns notable wins over rival stars McGregor, Gaethje and former UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway. However, 'The Diamond' is currently busy preparing for a trilogy bout with McGregor. He is also out of the running.
Then there's Ferguson. 'El Cucuy' was on fire with 12 straight wins, before suffering his first-ever TKO loss against Gaethje. But of late, Ferguson hasn't shown that he's a worthy contender, as he floundered in his last fight against Oliveira.
The rest of the lightweight contenders aren't big enough names yet to headline a pay-per-view card. And that's how the UFC matchmakers decided on Chandler.
The case for Michael Chandler as a legitimate contender
Michael Chandler is a newcomer to the octagon, but he has a decorated MMA resume from his time at Bellator. The 35-year-old is a three-time Bellator lightweight champ and has finished his last three fights by knockout.
UFC commentator and analyst Jon Anik is in the minority when it comes to the debate on Chandler's legitimacy as a UFC title challenger. Nonetheless, he made an argument for Chandler in an interview with MMA Junkie:
"I don't know that you can penalize Michael Chandler for the lack of UFC experience. I mean, he's certainly maximized his first opportunity and did to Dan Hooker what a lot of elite-level lightweights weren't able to do."
Whether they like it or not, critics can no longer prevent Michael Chandler from fighting for the title. If Chandler gets the job done at UFC 262, he should certainly be respected as the undisputed champ, no matter how he got there in the first place.
