Michael Chandler is at a crossroads in his career in the eyes of his former foe Dustin Poirier.
Tonight, Michael Chandler will go head to head with Paddy Pimblett in the co-main event of UFC 314. He is in desperate need of a win and at this point in his career, he needs to get one if he’s serious about getting back into the title picture.
Of course, Pimblett is heading into this knowing it’s the biggest fight of his own life, which makes this all the more intriguing as a contest. For Michael Chandler, it’s a case of figuring out what kind of approach he needs to take in order to get over the finish line and get back into the win column.
Recently, Michael Chandler’s former rival Dustin Poirier gave his thoughts on what this fight means for the ex-Bellator champion.
Dustin Poirier’s view on Michael Chandler
“To me, as a fighter and a fan, Chandler is at a crossroads here,” Poirier said on “Good Guy/Bad Guy.” “He’s taking on a young guy who has a lot of hype, but his track record has been kind of rocky in the UFC. He came over, right out the gate, big win, then up and down, up and down. This is a big test for Chandler to show he deserves to be at the top of the division.”
“He’s been at the top of the lightweight conversation since he got into the UFC with his win over Dan Hooker,” Poirier said. “It’s been downhill since then, but does he deserve to be in the top five. He’s been a staple for the last couple of years in the top five of the division, he can’t lose this fight.
“If he goes out there and wins this fight, OK, this guy maybe deserves to be in there, but he has to do something big after that. And for Paddy, if he beats Michael Chandler, now he’s fighting the top five.”
Quotes via MMA Junkie
