UFC 257 just saw a massive debut. Former Bellator lightweight champion, Michael Chandler, has burst out on the scene explosively. Chandler faced top lightweight prospect Dan Hooker and decimated him in the first round to win via KO/TKO.

Chandler was doubted by many going into this fight, including legends like Chael Sonnen. However, he proved what he had to prove and pushed the pressure on Hooker from the start. He eventually caught him with a deadly shot that Hooker had to fall. A ground and pound followed, and it was all she wrote for this fight.

Chandler called out all top lightweights after this win. He is looking to face either the winner of the main event in Conor McGregor vs Dustin Poirier, or be the man to face a returning Khabib Nurmagomedov. Fans will remember this win over Hooker as one of the best UFC debuts in a long-time.

UFC 257: Michael Chandler sets his own path for success

With this win, Chandler is at the top of the division now. The only people comparable to him will either be the winner of the main event or Khabib. That is a phenomenal position to be in after just one UFC fight, and ‘Iron’ Chandler has certainly earned it.

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Dan Hooker did look to throw his gloves away, which has sparked retirement rumors. However, the hope is that he does bounce back from this loss. This was Hooker’s second loss in a row- he lost to Dustin Poirier last June. These are elite losses, so he shouldn’t be too hard on himself.

Outside Khabib or Conor/Poirier, Chandler could also be matched up with either Justin Gaethje or Charles Oliveira. While that will take a little more time to figure out, Michael Chandler can really negotiate his position from now. What a debut and what an exciting UFC career ahead for Chandler!