5 reasons why Michael Chandler would beat Dustin Poirier in a potential matchup (and 5 reasons he won't)

#4. Can: Chandler's body shots

Dustin Poirier's defense against strikes that target his head is fairly sharp. This isn't to say that his chin is difficult to tag. However, 'The Diamond' possesses solid defensive striking against foes who headhunt, largely due to his newfound counter-punching, which the likes of Justin Gaethje and Eddie Alvarez have all been well acquainted with.

Unfortunately for the former UFC interim lightweight champion, he does not exhibit the same defensive instincts when it comes to strikes that target his midsection.

Charles Oliveira, for example, depleted Dustin Poirier's well-known gas tank at UFC 269 by repeatedly assaulting his opponent's midsection with knees. Similarly, Michael Chandler is a fighter who consistently targets his foe's midsection.

His go-to strikes are typically straight rights with right-round kicks to the body. However, the All-American does occasionally add a lead left hook to the midsection to stop foes from circling away from his power side. His efforts to target the body were best seen against Dan Hooker and Benson Henderson.

If Poirier's gas tank can be sapped as badly as it was against Oliveira by his foe's body shots, that same strategy employed by a more powerful striker like Michael Chandler will certainly pay off.

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#3. Can't: Poirier's wall-walking

If, at some point, Michael Chandler finds that he's unable to strike with Dustin Poirier, he's likely to revert to his wrestling roots and pursue takedowns against 'The Diamond'. Michael Chandler is a strong takedown artist whose physical strength and explosiveness serve him well in grounding his foes.

Like many explosive wrestlers, 'Iron' has a powerful blast double-leg takedown he often times when his opponents retreat in a straight line. Despite Poirier's penchant for being easily backed up to the fence, he won't be an opponent that Chandler will easily secure takedowns against.

If Dustin Poirier retreats to the fence as he often does, it enhances his counter-wrestling due to the wall-walking strategy that's been popularized by American Top Team.

Not only does Poirier use the fence as a barrier against a takedown's momentum, but he uses the fence to scale back to his feet whenever his opponents successfully ground him.

His struggles against wrestlers seem to come mostly against chain-wrestlers like Khabib Nurmagomedov. Chandler is a completely different breed of wrestler who does not chain-wrestle and tires quickly if his opponent initiates enough scrambles after being taken down.

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#2. Can: Michael Chandler's speed

Much of Michael Chandler's defensive striking relies on sheer speed. While fighters generally become more hittable the longer a fight progresses and the more fatigue sets in, this is especially true with the former Bellator world champion. However, Chandler is unlikely to aim for or win a decision over Dustin Poirier.

Instead, a knockout win would be the most favorable outcome as it would make use of Chandler's greatest physical attributes when it comes to his striking: power and speed.

The All-American is tremendously quick and able to dart in and out of range. In the first round of his bouts, Michael Chandler's opponents often struggle to find their timing due to his speed.

Poirier, by no means a fast fighter, will encounter difficulties landing his counterpunches while Chandler is still fresh, much like Justin Gaethje did. At the onset of every bout, 'Iron' is quick enough to easily hop out of range of his foe's strikes.

Every time Poirier misses a counterpunch, Chandler will almost certainly be darting right back in to capitalize on the opening.

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#1. Can't: Dustin Poirier's cardio

The former Bellator world champion has as much heart as any fighter. No one can ever doubt the willpower that Chandler possesses. His war with Justin Gaethje at UFC 268 is evidence of his desire to win, no matter the cost. Unfortunately, no amount of willpower can account for Chandler's limited cardio.

As a fighter with fast-twitch muscle fibers, the All-American is explosive and powerful, while his cardio is relatively poor, having failed him in several bouts throughout his career.

If he is unable to secure an early knockout win over Dustin Poirier in their potential matchup, he'll be forced into a fight that his cardio is ill-equipped to carry him through.

Dustin Poirier, meanwhile, has excellent cardio that has rendered him capable of going four rounds with Justin Gaethje and even five rounds against former UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway, a fighter known for possessing some of the most impressive cardio on the entire UFC roster.