Michael Chandler names the 'most challenging fighter' he's ever fought, and it's not Dustin Poirier: "Freaking good"

Dustin Poirier and Michael Chandler went to war at UFC 281 in late 2022, yet 'Iron' recently revealed that the most challenging opponent he's ever faced is someone else entirely. The fighter in question is none other than former UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira.

In a recent Q&A on X/Twitter, a fan praised the entertainment value of Chandler's fights before asking him who his most challenging opponent is. Chandler brought up Oliveira, whom he has shared the octagon with twice and lost to both times. The first loss was a TKO, and the second a unanimous decision.

"Oliveira is freaking good..."

Their first outing was at UFC 262 for the vacant lightweight title, which had been relinquished by the great Khabib Nurmagomedov. Over the course of two rounds, the two men had a back-and-forth affair, with Chandler dominating the first round, rocking Oliveira badly several times. However, 'do Bronx' survived the onslaught.

Then, in the opening seconds of round two, Oliveira landed a picture-perfect counter-left hook that floored Chandler. Reeling from the blow, 'Iron' scrambled to his feet, but Oliveira pounced, knocking him down again before TKO'ing him with ground-and-pound.

Their second fight was far more lopsided. Oliveira outstruck Chandler for the majority of the fight and implemented a much-improved wrestling game, taking Chandler down repeatedly. He racked up control time and seemed to be en route to a flawless performance.

However, in round five, Chandler rocked Oliveira. Unfortunately for him, he failed to capitalize, instead landing controversial back-of-the-head shots before ending up with Oliveira on his back for the rest of the round.

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Dustin Poirier is the only fighter to ever submit Michael Chandler

When Dustin Poirier and Michael Chandler locked horns at UFC 281, they had a fairly competitive fight, which 'Iron' could have won at certain points, something Poirier himself even acknowledged. However, in the end, Poirier submitted him with a rear-naked choke, becoming the first fighter to ever submit him.

Check out Dustin Poirier choking out Michael Chandler:

Unfortunately, the fight is remembered more for the many fouls that Chandler committed, including rabbit punches and fish-hooking.

Chandler, though, has never admitted to using any dirty tactics in his fights, but that hasn't stopped Poirier from referencing them when asked.