Michael Chandler failed to return to winning ways this past weekend at UFC Freedom 250. Mauricio Ruffy knocked him out in Round 1 of their lightweight three-round battle.
The 40-year-old is currently on a four-fight losing skid and has been knocked out in his last two bouts. Chandler’s last victory came at UFC 274 in 2022.
After the most recent Mauricio Ruffy loss at the White House, many in the MMA community asked the former Bellator champion to retire. However, he has no plans to do so just yet.
Michael Chandler says he is impossible to kill, promises a strong return: “The best is yet to come”
On Instagram, Michael Chandler has issued a post-loss statement. In it, he revealed that his right ear was badly busted up during the bout by Mauricio Ruffy and had to be stitched.
“Obviously, the fight did not go my way, but I’m in good spirits. I’m happy, I am healthy, I’m hard to kill. I’m impossible to kill. I’m impossible to defeat because I’m so truly blessed… Physically, I’m good, a little banged up. I got punched in the ear. I’m banged up in the ear, got punched right in the ear, and ripped it open.”
Despite back-to-back setbacks, “Iron” plans to return and fight again. He said he has no regrets about the defeat and believes he gave it his all inside the octagon. He added:
“You have these moments in life where everyone’s watching how you’re going to respond, and I promise you, just as I always have, I will continue to respond like a champion.”
“Typical Chandler fashion. All we do is move forward. In the face of adversity, we move forward… If things don’t go our way, we still continue to walk on. Because we are the man in the arena… The best is yet to come, trust me.”
Check out Michael Chandler’s comments below:
What went wrong with Michael Chandler at UFC Freedom 250?
Michael Chandler started the bout with powerful leg kicks and did not remain stationary for the first 2 minutes, making it hard for the Brazilian sniper to land something clean and meaningful.
He also attempted takedowns, but when he stopped moving and was backed up against the fence, Ruffy hurt him with a spinning wheel kick, after which Chandler began retreating so that he could at least survive the round.
Soon, Ruffy landed another spinning kick and dropped “Iron” in the final seconds of the first stanza. As the American hit the canvas, Ruffy followed up with three uppercuts, which were enough to leave Chandler semi-conscious, prompting the referee to step in and stop the bout.
