"Possibly could've beaten Khabib" - Michael Chandler confident Tony Ferguson is "still extremely dangerous"

Tony Ferguson (left) and Michael Chandler (right) [Photo via @mikechandlermma on IG]

Michael Chandler won't be taking Tony Ferguson lightly, even if his opponent has shown signs of decline in his last three fights.

Chandler will lock horns with Ferguson on the main card at UFC 274 at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona. Both men will look to rebound from their respective losing skids in what is expected to be a Fight of the Night contender.

Though Ferguson was badly beaten in his last three outings, Chandler believes that he'll be in for a tough night against 'El Cucuy.' During an episode of ESPN MMA's DC & RC Show, the former lightweight title challenger said:

"Tony Ferguson has always been a perennial top guy. You know, we're only a couple of years removed from that illustrious 12-fight win streak that he was on, when he looked unbeatable. Possibly could've even beaten Khabib. There were a lot of people who were picking him to beat Khabib. Would that have happened? We don't know because we never saw it. But, man, I see Tony Ferguson as a guy who is still extremely dangerous, still always performs well even when he runs into the toughest guys."

Check out Michael Chandler's comments below:

'El Cucuy' is coming off disappointing performances against Justin Gaethje, Charles Oliveira, and Beneil Dariush. Before things went downhill for Ferguson, he had strung together a spectacular 12-fight winning streak and picked up the interim 155-pound title along the way.

Many also believed he was the only man capable of beating the indomitable Khabib Nurmagomedov. However, the two never got a chance to meet, with the matchup getting canceled five times.

Michael Chandler shuts down narrative that Tony Ferguson is on the decline

As far as Michael Chandler is concerned, Tony Ferguson's three straight losses don't indicate that the former interim lightweight champ is on the decline.

'Iron' believes consecutive losses are to be expected for anyone who competes at the top of the division. The former Bellator MMA lightweight champ told MMA Fighting:

"I would say his track record thus far would indicate that maybe he has lost a step but you can’t just look at records and say he’s lost his last three fights. Those guys you mentioned, Charles Oliveira, Justin Gaethje, Beneil Dariush, these are the top guys in the world. When we’re fighting up at the top of the division doing this round-robin against the best guys on the planet at 155 pounds, you’re going to win some, you’re going to lose some and every now and again, you’re going to lose a couple in a row just like I have."

Oh my 🤩

Michael Chandler 🆚 Tony Ferguson looks set for #UFC274

(Via Sports Illustrated) https://t.co/lZGWw1VqrS