[ad_1]
All eyes will be on the UFC lightweight division on December 11 when Charles Oliviera looks to make his first 155-pound title defense against Dustin Poirier at UFC 269.
By then, more than a year will have passed since Khabib Nurmagomedov retired in the cage at UFC 254 and opened the doors to the top of the division. Oliveira filled the vacant spot with his spectacular victory over Michael Chandler in May, but after testing the Brazilian’s skills inside the Octagon, Chandler couldn’t help but predict that Oliveira’s reign would be short lived when asked to pick a winner. for the main event of UFC 269.
“I think Dustin Poirier,” Chandler said recently on MMA time. “I think they’re both complete fighters. I think Oliveira has shown in her last two fights, especially the fight against me, her hands have come. It’s basic and it hits hard. He hits harder than you think. His grappling is obviously still on point, but I just think Dustin Poirier is a little better in all areas. I think Dustin Poirier’s cardio [is better]. I think Dustin Poirier’s ability to hurt him and finish the fight, as I couldn’t, is second to none. I think Dustin Poirier wins this fight with a third or fourth round stoppage. “
Chandler, 35, will have to sort out his own problems first. The former Bellator champion is set to meet Justin Gaethje in a top contenders battle on November 6 at UFC 268. A win will likely push Chandler back into the title conversation before Oliveira v Poirier.
It’s an important crossroads for Chandler’s career – and one his opponent knows all too well. Gaethje also just won a failed UFC title challenge in his last fight.
Chandler’s setback may have been more painful though. He snatched defeat from the jaws of victory over Oliveira just 19 seconds into the second round at UFC 262 after nearly finishing Oliveira in the dying moments of the first round. After being seconds away from fulfilling his dream of winning a UFC world title, Chandler admitted that the road back to UFC 268 has not been easy, even though he’s ready to start the climb again.
“Man, the pain. Tears. Fall short. Embarrassment. Less than, ”Chandler said. “That little voice inside my head that always told me that I was a little guy from a small town who was taught to do little things, because that’s what I’m into. have been brought up. These are the people I was with. I came from a community where not a lot of people thought they could get out of those county lines and go do some big, crazy, daring things. And this little guy from this little town is still here – I got really good at sticking him to the basement of my mind and putting a roll of duct tape around his mouth.
“But man, he’s going back up. He goes up often. And he definitely came back right after May 15th, May 15th. I stayed up until 4 a.m. that night. My wife was sleeping next to me and I was lying in my hotel room and was up until 4 or 5 in the morning, I didn’t even barely sleep, I turned and turned and that was fair, it was hard. But that’s why we do what we do. This is why the fans love this sport. … There’s a reason the ‘Rocky’ franchise is one of the most successful movie franchises of all time. It wasn’t because Rocky always won. That’s because Rocky always came back regardless of previous setbacks and future opposition.
“So it was ups and downs for months at a time, but man, I made my peace with that and it was a great opportunity that I had. And now I have one more opportunity. greater to come back from this defeat.The setback is only a springboard for the return.
[ad_2]
Source link