Watch: When Michael Chandler was knocked out by Patricio Pitbull ahead of his UFC debut
Michael Chandler made an impressive UFC debut with a devastating knockout win over Dan Hooker at UFC 257. But just like every other combat sports athlete, Chandler is vulnerable to getting knocked out by a perfectly placed shot. That is exactly what happened to 'Iron' when he fought current two-division Bellator champion Patricio 'Pitbull' Freire in May of 2019.
The fight between Michael Chandler and Patricio Freire lasted for a total of 61 seconds. Chandler attempted to enter on Pitbull with a level change twice during the initial feelout process but was met with an overhand right from his quicker foe on both entries. The third attempt to enter with a jab and level change resulted in a knockdown as Pitbull moved out of the way of the jab and landed another overhand right to Chandler's temple. The referee stepped in to stop the fight after a few more follow-up shots.
After defending his Bellator featherweight title twice in 2018, Patricio Pitbull fought lightweight champion Michael Chandler at Bellator 221 on May 11, 2019 in a bid to become Bellator's second two-division champion. Pitbull has since enjoyed the status of double champ and defended his featherweight title on two more occasions since.
Michael Chandler worked his way to the UFC after losing his Bellator title
Michael Chandler was considered as one of the best MMA fighters outside of the UFC for a long time. The loss of the title to the lower division's champion significantly reduced Chandler's stock. However, Chandler went on to win three straight fights in Bellator and impressed the MMA community with a devastating knockout win over former UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson at Bellator 243 in August 2020.
Chandler's first meeting with Henderson back in 2016 had resulted in a split decision win for the former. The manner of victory caused many to question if Chandler could fare well against the top fighters of the UFC's lightweight division if he ever signed with the promotion.
The knockout win over Henderson at Bellator 243 answered the questions and Chandler was picked by the UFC while testing free agency. The win over Dan Hooker catapulted Michael Chandler into the top five of the UFC's lightweight division.
Champion Khabib Nurmagomedov's retirement and No.1 ranked Dustin Poirier's interest in the trilogy fight with Conor McGregor has left the title up for grabs.
Michael Chandler will fight No. 3 ranked Charles Oliveira for the vacant UFC lightweight title at the UFC 262 pay-per-view event scheduled to take place on May 15, 2021. Michael Chandler will become the second fighter to win the championship title in both Bellator and the UFC if he beats Charles Oliveira, the first being Eddie Alvarez.