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Michael Chandler entered the UFC with lots of hype around him back in 2021.
The former Bellator lightweight champion had proven everything he needed to at that point — he’d won a major championship, notched notable wins over Eddie Alvarez, Benson Henderson (twice), Patricky Pitbull (twice), and Brent Primus.
And his UFC tenure started with a bang after Chandler dispatched of former lightweight title contender Dan Hooker in just 2:30 via TKO to win a Performance of the Night bonus.
Chandler looked to be on the fast track to a title shot, but losses to Justin Gaethje and Charles Oliveira halted his momentum before he scored a highlight-reel knockout of Tony Ferguson via front kick.
However, Chandler has lost four straight to Oliveira, Dustin Poirier, Paddy Pimblett, and Mauricio Ruffy, and a former nemesis thinks it’s time the 40-year-old hang up the gloves.
“With all due respect, we’ve buried the hatchet and shook hands, but Michael Chandler, what are you doing?” Poirier asked on the “Deep Waters” podcast.
“I saw a thing — I don’t know if this is official news — but he said he might move up to welterweight. If 155ers are stopping you and you’re taking all this damage, what are 170s going to do? I want to know what he’s fighting for.”
Poirier and Chandler had one of the more memorable fights of 2022 — a third-round submission victory for Poirier that earned both fighters Fight of the Night honors.
To Poirier’s point, four of Chandler’s six UFC losses have been finishes (three via TKO, one by submission).
His bout against Ruffy at UFC Freedom 250 was particularly concerning given the fact that Chandler looked completely outclassed on the feet, though he did have to overcome a three-inch height difference.
“That’s what they always say: the fighter is the last one to know,” Poirier added. “Everybody around them knows it’s time to hang them up, the fighter’s the last one to know.
“… The problem is, power is the last thing to go, and we all think we could land that shot that ends the fight at any time. So it keeps people coming back. ‘I just need to land that one shot. I might be slower, my reactions might be slower, my hands might be slower, but I just need one.’”
If Chandler moves up to the 170-pound division, things won’t be much easier. Welterweight is stacked with several top contenders including Ian Machado Garry, Carlos Prates, Jack Della Maddalena, Gabriel Bonfim, Sean Brady, Jaquin Buckley, and Michael “Venom” Page.
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