"Near-flawless" - Michael Chandler reveals what he believes is the best performance of Justin Gaethje's career
![Justin Gaethje (left) Michael Chandler (right) [Images Courtesy: @justin_gaethje @mikechandlermma on Instagram]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/10/1a5b8-16348376217394-1920.jpg?w=500)
Despite there being some apparent bad blood between Michael Chandler and Justin Gaethje ahead of their upcoming fight, the former recently heaped praise on his opponent ahead of UFC 268.
Speaking to ESPN MMA's Brett Okamoto, Michael Chandler specifically referenced Gaethje's interim title-winning performance against Tony Ferguson as "near-flawless." He stated:
"The complete 180 he did against Tony Ferguson was nothing short of amazing and I will give him that... It was by far the best performance of his career and might I even go so far as to say it was pretty much darn near-flawless."
Michael Chandler and Justin Gaethje are set to face off at UFC 268. The stakes of their fight are incredibly high, with the winner potentially next in line to fight for the UFC lightweight title.
Michael Chandler on whether he will attempt to utilize a wrestling-heavy approach against Justin Gaethje
Both Michael Chandler and Justin Gaethje are known for their spectacular knockout finishes, as well as getting into exhilarating fire fights. However, both men have wrestling backgrounds.
When Michael Chandler was asked if he planned on incorporating wrestling into his fight against 'The Highlight', the former three-time Bellator lightweight champion said:
"Man, I've always tried to bring a multi-faceted approach to my fights. I want guys to be cognisant and somewhat timid of my power. 'Cause whenever they feel my power, they realize what's coming at them. I wanna push the pace. I wanna touch them in the legs, in the body, in the head. Shoot for takedowns, fake takedowns, do it all. That's how I've trained my entire career"
You can check out the full ESPN MMA interview with Michael Chandler below:
Chandler will have to utilize his full arsenal of skills when he faces Gaethje, who has cemented himself as one of the top lightweights in the world over the past few years.
Chandler is also incredibly highly regarded. However, he is currently only two fights into his UFC career, having picked up a victory over Dan Hooker and lost a fight for the vacant title against Charles Oliveira.