UFC lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan believes the promotion should give Michael Chandler his walking papers.
Chandler was finished in the first round by Mauricio Ruffy at UFC Freedom 250. It was Chandler’s fourth loss in a row, and it dropped his overall UFC record to just 2-6 with four stoppage losses. His last win in the UFC came back in May 2022 when he knocked out Tony Ferguson, who is no longer part of the UFC roster.
After losing devastatingly to Ruffy on the White House lawn, Chandler was dropped out of the UFC top-15 lightweight rankings. And now, Tsarukyan believes he should lose his job, too.
Arman Tsarukyan Says UFC Should Cut Michael Chandler
Speaking to Ariel Helwani following UFC Freedom 250, Tsarukyan ripped Chandler for his performance against Ruffy and said that the UFC matchmakers should send him packing.
“I am going to beat Michael Chandler. Poor Michael Chandler. How they let Michael Chandler fight? Please cut him. Just fire him. Tell UFC they gotta fire him. He’s losing all of his fights. He’s old, 40 years old. To have a physique like that at 40 years old is something crazy, you know? I would like to have the same body when I am going to be 40. He has no chin anymore, unfortunately. That’s why you gotta leave (the sport) in the right moment,” Tsarukyan said (h/t MMA Mania).
Despite losing four straight fights, it’s important to note that Chandler’s four losses in a row came against elite opposition in Ruffy, Paddy Pimblett, Charles Oliveira, and Dustin Poirier. So, it’s not like Chandler is losing to unranked fighters. He is losing to the best in the world.
The problem is that he is getting destroyed and, for the most part, has not been competitive in these fights. But the UFC loves Chandler because he always shows up to fight, so despite Tsarukyan urging the promotion to let him go, it feels more likely they will get him one more fight inside the Octagon.
Arman Tsarukyan Says Justin Gaethje Should Keep Fighting
In the main event of UFC Freedom 250, Justin Gaethje defeated Ilia Topuria to unify the UFC lightweight titles. It was an amazing performance by Gaethje, but afterward, he suggested he might hang up his gloves and ride off into the sunset while on top of his game.
Unlike Chandler, though, Tsarukyan doesn’t believe Gaethje should retire. Since he looked so good against Topuria, Tsarukyan believes “The Highlight” should continue to compete.
“He shouldn’t retire because he looked so good. I think he’s got maybe two more years. He’s in his prime. He looks strong, fast. Good cardio, good chin. It’s like a new version of Justin Gaethje. He was taking hard punches from Ilia Topuria and he didn’t even shake. And he has no scratches on his face, that’s crazy. I’m going to go in there take him down and choke him. I won’t strike with him. He doesn’t know how to escape from the mount, he just turned his back,” Tsarukyan said.
Lightweight Contender Encourages UFC to Cut Michael Chandler