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‘He Didn’t Quit’- Michael Chandler Gives Best Qualities of Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier, Justin Gaethje, and Charles Oliveira

Published 04/04/2021, 11:10 AM EDT

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Michael Chandler is on the cusp of greatness. He will be fighting for the vacant UFC Lightweight Championship at UFC 262 against Charles ‘do Bronx’ Oliveira. A win over Oliveira would make him the first man to win a UFC title in his first two bouts.

However, much was made of this matchup and why Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje were not brought up. But Gaethje is coming off a loss and Poirier preferred to rematch Conor McGregor. But all three of these Lightweights, along with Oliveira, are targets for Chandler. But the former Bellator Champion isn’t as worried about Oliveira as he is the others.

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‘I don’t think so. A guy like Dustin Poirier is extremely technical on the feet, very well versed in the ground, and he has an indomitable spirit. You look at a guy like Conor who obviously got finished in his last fight. But he didn’t quit. You look at a guy like Justin Gaethje, another guy with an indomitable spirit. Very great on the ground, but just a ridiculous striker and savage on the feet.”

Chandler went in-depth on Oliveira after discussing the other three fighters.“When you look at Charles Oliveira, he’s pretty good on the feet and Extremely good on the ground. Athleticism wise, speed and power wise, not at the top of the list in the division. He also has a tendency to start fast and fade.”

Michael Chandler: Fair assessment of his opposition?

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via Imago

Michael Chandler described the murderers’ row that is the Lightweight division very well. There are no easy fights at the top of this division, and each fighter brings their unique style into the Octagon. There is no stock style to prepare for, which makes matchmaking hard.

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However, Chandler may just be underrating Oliveira. He was visibly praiseful of Gaethje and Poirier, but had an interesting note about McGregor. We know that Conor didn’t quit in his loss to Poirier, but it shows that Chandler is being shrewd and keeping that super-fight alive.

The Charles Oliveira fight will be massive in proving how legitimate his talent actually is. However, he has a stellar body of work since before he joined the UFC. Hopefully, his assessment is correct and he can bring a UFC title back to the United States.

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Written by:

Ishaan Bhattacharya

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Ishaan Bhattacharya is an NBA, NCAA Basketball, and Combat Sports writer at EssentiallySports. Currently, Ishaan is pursuing a Post Graduate Degree in Journalism from Xavier's Institute of Communication. Previously, Ishaan has written for The Indian Express, The Quint, Sportskeeda, and WrestleClub.
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