“Doesn’t Have the Levels Now”: After Arman Tsarukyan’s “Dumbest Fight IQ” Jibe, Michael Chandler’s Fate Condemned in Raw Take by Veteran UFC Official

There is a new force rising in the UFC’s Lightweight division currently. The Armenian-Russian Lightweight, Arman Tsarukyan, attracted the eye of numerous MMA fans and pundits with his superb victory at UFC Vegas 75. Tsarukyan knocked out his Brazilian opponent, Joaquim Silva, in the third round of their UFC Vegas 75 bout. He also clarified his goal of claiming Islam Makhachev’s UFC Lightweight gold and went on to call out the famed Lightweight and TUF 31 coach, Michael Chandler, after his victory.

On the other hand, Chandler currently has no bouts scheduled after the probable scrapping of his touted fight against Conor McGregor. This has created a buzz among the fans calling for a Chandler vs Tsarukyan bout to be set up.

Amidst all of this, the ‘Armenian-Russian’ also derided his next possible opponent, stating Chandler had the “dumbest fight IQ in the game”. This comment from Tsarukyan came about in one of ‘WEIGHING IN’ podcast episodes. The ’26-year-old’s’ words also had its hosts, Josh Thomson, and ‘Big’ John McCarthy, weighing in on this issue.

John McCarthy mostly agreed with Arman Tsarukyan’s opinion about Michael Chandler

It was Thomson who revealed that Tsarukyan had commented on one of their podcast episodes. He disclosed the comment quoting, “He’s got the dumbest fight IQ in the game”. Thomson also said, “I don’t understand why people keep saying he’s a good fighter. He’s tough, but yeah.”

The noted former MMA referee, ‘Big’ John McCarthy, who’s also the other host of the podcast, partially agreed with the ’26-year-old’s’ first comment. Although, not to the superlative degree, it was apparent that McCarthy viewed Chandler as an individual with a low fight IQ. ‘Big’ also gave out the reasons behind his opinion. 

He said, “If you ask me, do I think he fights smart at this point of his career? No. I think he tries to be more entertaining than he tries to be a smart fighter.” 

However, McCarthy and Thomson both also pointed out that there were advantages to the way Chandler fights. Thomson initiated this issue, stating, “He’s getting paid though. He’s getting paid pretty well, which is good for him”. While McCarthy stated, “And that makes him a smart businessman.”

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Chandler might lose some fights due to his low fight IQ. But both the podcasters agreed that his “smart businessman” approach to fights minimizes the effects of his losses on his earnings.

John McCarthy also debunked one of Tsarukyan’s opinions about Chandler

Although ‘Big’ agreed with Tsarukyan’s initial comment, he expressed a strong distinction from his second comment about Chandler. The Armenian-Russian had stated that he fails to understand why people call ‘Iron’ a “good fighter”.

But McCarthy had a clear concept about this issue. The 60-year-old stated, “He [Chandler] is a good fighter. He has got good skills. He’s entertaining. I like Michael Chandler and I don’t care what anyone else thinks. I think that he’s great for any promotion that he’s part of.”

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A lot of fans might say that McCarthy showcased his true unbiased nature here. He supported what he believed and debunked what he didn’t accept without choosing any of the fighter’s sides. Also, it’s probably this unbiasedness due to which he is considered one of the best in the field of MMA Refereeing. Do you also agree with McCarthy’s evaluation of Tsarukyan’s comments about ‘Iron’?