"I make it ugly" - Michael Chandler confident he has the perfect style to stop Islam Makhachev's dominance
While spending time with former UFC heavyweight contender Brendan Schaub, Michael Chandler explained why he believes Islam Makhachev would be a good matchup for him.
'Iron' came into the octagon at the age of 34 and quickly proved his worth. The now-36-year-old took no time in getting familiar with the octagon, knocking out Dan Hooker, earning Fight of the Year honors with Justin Gaethje, and almost finishing Charles Oliveira to win UFC gold in just three fights with the promotion.
During a recent episode of Food Truck Diaries with Brendan Schaub, Michael Chandler opened up on the possibility of facing Islam Makhachev down the line, insisting that his wrestling would nullify the Russian's grappling and lead to him getting his hand raised.
"Islam is good, but what Islam has is the wrestling, and I think I negate his wrestling. I do think [Makhachev would be forced to stand with me]... He's a southpaw, he's not a power guy, and I have an ability to get in your face and make guys who are normally in your face type of guys get on their back foot. I make it ugly."
The former Bellator lightweight champion put on a show the last time he appeared in the cage, perfectly executing a front kick against Tony Ferguson. The shot is rightfully being considered a Knockout of the Year contender.
Check out the episode below:
Will Islam Makhachev become the next UFC lightweight champion?
Islam Makhachev finds himself in a position to be crowned the new 155lb champion of the UFC. But to do so, he must get past the always-dangerous Charles Oliveira on October 22 in Abu Dhabi.
'Do Bronx' is one of the most dangerous athletes in the sport, and expertly combines devastating knockout power with a deadly submission threat, making him a problem for anybody in his weight class. The Brazilian holds the record for most finishes and most submissions in the company's history.
Makhachev will, without a doubt, be facing his toughest opponent to date come UFC 280, but is confident in his dominant grappling and always-improving standup game. If he is successful, the 30-year-old will move one step closer to matching the success of his mentor Khabib Nurmagomedov.