"Just put him on his a**" - Former UFC title contender questions Michael Chandler for trying to "get fancy" during his fight against Dustin Poirier at UFC 281
Former UFC featherweight Kenny Florian believes Michael Chandler's showmanship style of fighting cost him the victory against Dustin Poirier.
Michael Chandler vs. Dustin Poirier lived up to the hype and was awarded the Fight of the Night bonus at UFC 281. Both men went to war and each had their moments before Poirier locked in a third-round submission.
The first round was a back-and-forth contest that led to Chandler being rocked at the end. 'Iron' then showcased his wrestling, which led to him dominating the second frame.
THIS MICHAEL CHANDLER VS DUSTIN POIRIER FIGHT ABSOLUTELY INSANE ‼️
#UFC281
https://t.co/zqdyzLKzdx
Heading into the third and 1-1 on the scorecards, Chandler again attempted to use his wrestling by picking up 'The Diamond' and trying to slam him to the ground. Poirier managed to reverse the poisition and used his Brazilian jiu-jitsu to find the rear-naked choke, which finished the fight.
According to Kenny Florian, Michael Chandler should have just taken Poirier to the ground, rather than lifting him in the air to land the slam. During the UFC 281 reactions on the Anik & Florian Podcast channel, he said:
"Dude! You've got him in a double-leg, why do you have to lift him all the way into his air? Just put him on his a**, why are you trying to get fancy? Again, I know it's Chandler trying to entertain. Is there a guy more physically gifted than Michael Chandler? But man, as far as management of energy and some of the decisions he makes, if you've seen one Chandler fight, you've seen him all. That's both what makes him awesome and is a problem for a coach."
Catch the podcast with Kenny Florian here:
Michael Chandler open to trilogy bout with Eddie Alvarez
Following his loss at UFC 281, Michael Chandler is now 2-3 in his five UFC appearances. Although that doesn't look great on paper, 'Iron' has quickly become one of the UFC's biggest stars because he leaves everything in the octagon.
During UFC 281's post-fight press conference, the 36-year-old was asked what was next. The American confirmed that he's still vying for a fight with Conor McGregor but would certainly entertain a trilogy bout with now-free agent Eddie Alvarez in the meantime:
“Eddie and I have got some history. Eddie and I have made some magic in there. Eddie was a former UFC champion. I would love to see him come back here and get thrown back into the mix. There ain’t no way that he and I are not fighting if he comes to the UFC. So, I love the idea of that fight.”
Chandler and Alvarez are 1-1 in a head-to-head series. The pair fought twice while signed to Bellator, and their first fight is widely considered the best fight in Bellator MMA's history.
The pair went to war in 2011, with 'Iron' winning the fight via rear-naked choke in the fourth round. They ran back two years later, with Alvarez getting his hand raised via split decision.
Michael Chandler vs Eddie Alvarez 1 is still one of my favorite fights of all time https://t.co/Xu8L8QtpDd
Watch the UFC 281 post-fight presser here: