Michael Chandler breaks down his grappling session with UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman
Michael Chandler is undoubtedly one of the best wrestlers in the UFC lightweight division. However, UFC fans haven't gotten to see much of Chandler's wrestling potential in his two fights inside the octagon. Some fans might be shocked to learn that Michael Chandler can hang with welterweight champion Kamaru Usman on the wrestling mats.
Chandler recently posted a video clip to Instagram where he could be seen wrestling with Usman. 'The Nigerian Nightmare' seemed to be trying his best to take Chandler down, but the No.4-ranked lightweight smartly maneuvered his way to safety every time Usman tried to grab hold of him.
The key to this, according to Michael Chandler, was to keep moving during a scramble.
"This is one of the most popular videos I’ve posted for you guys so I decided to slow it down and add some captions so you can focus on the minute details of what’s happening inside this scramble with @usman84kg. Bottom line: just keep moving and creating motion. We lose the battle of the takedown when we concede and stop moving. There’s always a way to keep the chain going. Always a door open. Just keep going. See you at the top!"
Watch the video below:
Michael Chandler set to take on Justin Gaethje at UFC 268
UFC 268 is shaping up to be a blockbuster card. A welterweight summit clash between Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington will headline the pay-per-view. Additionally, an explosive lightweight encounter could serve as the co-main event for the card.
According to reports from ESPN.com, Justin Gaethje and Michael Chandler have verbally agreed to fight each other at UFC 268. The lightweight contenders will soon sign the dotted line.
Michael Chandler has had a roller-coaster ride in his two fights with the promotion. In his debut, 'Iron' dominated Dan Hooker at UFC 257. He then faced champion Charles Oliveira at UFC 262. Despite a positive start, Chandler fell to the Brazilian in the second round.
Meanwhile, Gaethje has been out of action since challenging Khabib Nurmagomedov for the lightweight strap last year. Both fighters are still in title contention, and a win for either man could lead to a shot at the belt in the near future.