"Sweetest guy in the business" - Chael Sonnen speculates Dustin Poirier instigated UFC 276 altercation for not being called out by Michael Chandler

Former UFC fighter Chael Sonnen recently offered fans his take on Dustin Poirier's altercation with Michael Chandler at UFC 276. He wondered whether Chandler's decision to overlook Poirier was the catalyst that prompted the bust-up.

Chandler and Poirier confronted each other while watching UFC 276 unfold at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Fellow UFC fighter Gilbert Burns recorded the duo partaking in a heated exchange of words. They were subsequently separated by security personnel who were determined to de-escalate the matter.

Watch the clip below:

In a video on his YouTube channel, Chael Sonnen discussed the recent fracas between the UFC lightweight bigwigs. Sonnen recalled the time 'The Diamond' refused to react so impulsively when Colby Covington and Conor McGregor threw shade at his wife, wondering what Michael Chandler could have done to attract Dustin Poirier's wrath.

He hailed 'Iron' as one of the nicest fighters in the promotion and admitted there was no way he instigated the fight. Sonnen asserted that Chandler was caught off-guard while trying to enjoy the action at UFC 276, which explained why his responses to Poirier's actions were much less spirited.

'The Bad Guy' also noted that Dustin Poirier is a wonderful person who tries to better the lives of people outside the octagon through his charitable foundation. However, he questioned whether Poirier's actions were a result of Chandler's decision to bypass 'The Diamond' as a potential opponent:

"[Michael Chandler's] gonna come at you with venom and he's going to come at you hot and he's going to do it one time - it's going to be in the post-fight conference. Every other time, he's going to be the sweetest guy in the business... Poirier's never been a bad guy. Sells hot sauce and raises money for children's parks so they could play on a merry-go-round on recess... What is going on here? Is Poirier justified in the least? Is there more to this that I don't know about? Can you be mad for not being challenged?"

Watch Chael Sonnen's full assessment of the Chandler-Poirier beef below:

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Dustin Poirier believes he could truly hurt Michael Chandler inside the octagon

In a previous interaction with Teddy Atlas on The FIGHT with Teddy Atlas podcast, Dustin Poirier offered his take on how Michael Chandler would fare against him in a fight.

Poirier looked back at Chandler's second-round finish of Tony Ferguson at UFC 274 and his UFC 262 loss at the hands of Charles Oliveira. He admitted that fighters like Conor McGregor and himself could put a world of hurt on Chandler if he got hurt and dropped by 'El Cucuy' and Oliveira.

"I’m not saying [Michael Chandler’s] chinny or anything, but he gets hurt in a lot of his fights, and guys like [Conor McGregor], they can punch. If you’re getting hurt by Tony Ferguson and dropped by [Charles Oliveira], guys like me, guys like Conor, if we touch your chin, it’s gonna be bad."

Catch Dustin Poirier's full interaction with Teddy Atlas below: