Michael Chandler under fire as Dustin Poirier’s teammate calls for grudge match
Dustin Poirier has made it clear that he is not the biggest fan of Michael Chandler. But it seems that a fellow training partner of Poirier's is far more irked by Chandler's current sitting in the UFC. Grant Dawson, the No.14-ranked lightweight in the promotion, recently took aim at 'Iron' for still being ranked inside the top 15.
Dawson took aim at Chandler's UFC record of 2-5, as well as his three-fight losing streak. 'KGD' also undermined the pair of wins 'Iron' holds in the octagon. He noted that the former title contender defeated Tony Ferguson, who was riding a three-fight losing streak, and Dan Hooker long before the Kiwi's current surge.
The No.5-ranked lightweight discussed 'Iron' during a recent interview with Inside Fighting, where he said this:
"I don't even think people think [Chandler] is good. There's 1, 2, 3 lightweights in the UFC alone and you guys are telling me that he's the twelfth-best? Get out of here. The dude's 38 years old, he's got two wins in the UFC. One of them's over a seven-fight losing streak Tony Ferguson and the other one's over Dan Hooker before he had tattoos."
Dawson added:
"I really don't see why people are still keeping him in the top 15. He doesn't belong in the top 15, and he 100% should have a fight against me, [Benoit Saint Denis], somebody along that level next."
Watch Dustin Poirier's teammate discuss Michael Chandler below (4:00):
Michael Chandler speculates on why Dustin Poirier doesn't like him
Dustin Poirier and Michael Chandler clashed at UFC 281, a thrilling contest. However, after the bout, it was clear that the bad blood between the pair had yet to subside.
'The Diamond' has since criticized Chandler for his dirty tactics during fights, as well as his alleged two-faced persona. During a recent interview with Daniel Cormier, 'Iron' was given the chance to explain why he is not favored by Poirier.
He said this:
"When you beat a guy, you want to see him do not-as-good as you after that. Like, 'Hey, well I beat him, so therefore I should be here and I should be here.' Great things keep happening, good things happen to good people... Then there's other people who are like, 'Yeah, but I beat him. So I'm kind of mad about this."
Check out Michael Chandler's comments on Dustin Poirier disliking him below (11:30):