Michael Chandler names former interim UFC champion as the hardest hitter he's ever faced inside the cage

Since joining the UFC, Michael Chandler has only faced top-ranked opponents in the lightweight division, with no tune-up fights. In his UFC debut in 2020, the former Bellator lightweight champion was immediately thrown into the deep end against Dan Hooker at UFC 257, securing a dominant first-round knockout victory over his Kiwi opponent.

Following his successful debut, Chandler has faced elite lightweights such as former interim champions Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje, and the former 155-pound champion Charles Oliveira. In his promotional journey, 'Iron' Michael Chandler has amassed a record of 2 wins and 3 losses, with only one of those fights going to the judges' scorecards.

When a fan on Twitter inquired about the hardest hitter among Dustin Poirier, Charles Oliveira, and Justin Gaethje, Chandler pointed to 'The Diamond'.

Right after his victory over Dan Hooker, Chandler had the opportunity to compete for the lightweight title against Charles Oliveira at UFC 262. Despite coming close to finishing Oliveira in the first round, Chandler suffered a TKO loss in the second round with 'do Bronx' coming back after overcoming adversity.

Chandler's next challenge came in the form of a showdown with Justin Gaethje at UFC 268. The clash between 'The Highlight' and 'Iron' was an absolute barn-burner, with both fighters leaving everything inside the octagon. However, it was Gaethje who emerged victorious, winning by unanimous decision.

After two set-backs, Michael Chandler faced Tony Ferguson at UFC 274 where he secured a spectacular first round KO over 'El Cucuy' in the second round.

Chandler last faced Dustin Poirier at UFC 281 in a grueling three-round battle. In the final round, Poirier capitalized on a reversal during a back-take attempt by Chandler and secured a rear-naked choke finish.

---

Will Michael Chandler end up fighting Conor McGregor after TUF 31 finishes airing?

At this point, it seems unlikely that Conor McGregor will make his return to the octagon this year. 'The Notorious' had till June 16th to submit his samples to USADA for testing, but their athlete test history records have not been updated indicating that McGregor might not have entered the testing pool.

This casts a shadow over Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler - a fight that was supposed to happen at the end of the 31st edition of The Ultimate Fighter.

Rumors are afloat that the fight may be pushed to the UFC 300 card, but that event will only take place in the first trimester of 2024. Nothing has been confirmed as of yet. What's more, is the fact that there are reports suggesting that McGregor is no longer interested in fighting Chandler.