Getty (R-L) Justin Gaethje punches Michael Chandler in their lightweight bout during UFC 268.
UFC superstar Michael Chandler bagged two nominations at the World MMA Awards 2022.
Fan-favorite Chandler made his way into the UFC after spending a decade competing in Bellator from 2010 through 2020. He worked his way up to becoming a three-time Bellator lightweight champion and winning the promotion’s season four tournament in his weight class.
The UFC signed Chandler as a backup for the title fight between former division champion Khabib Nurmagomedov and former interim champion Justin Gaethje at UFC 254 in Oct. 2020.
Although he didn’t get to make his first walk under the banner for the event, Chandler went on to score his first Performance of the Night bonus when he knocked out top-ranked contender Dan Hooker in his debut at UFC 257 just four months later in Jan. 2021.
He finally got the opportunity to challenge for the vacant promotional gold against seasoned veteran Charles Oliveira in the headlining contest of UFC 262. While he didn’t win the fight, he put in a solid performance and came on the brink of capturing the strap with a first-round knockdown of Oliveira.
Following a thrilling run in the last year and a half, Chandler has received two nominations for the World MMA Awards 2022. He got on the shortlist for Fight of the Year for his exhilarating bout with Gaethje at UFC 268 in Nov. 2021.
He was also nominated for Knockout of the Year for his vicious knockout of Tony Ferguson at UFC 274 in May. You can check out the full list of nominees for the respective awards below.
Fight of the Year
Jiri Prochazka vs. Glover Teixeira – UFC 275
Justin Gaethje vs. Michael Chandler – UFC 268
Alexander Volkanovski vs. Brian Ortega – UFC 266
Khamzat Chimaev vs. Gilbert Burns – UFC 273
Max Holloway vs. Yair Rodriguez – UFC Vegas 42
Knockout of the Year
Michael Chandler (front kick) vs. Tony Ferguson – UFC 274
Ignacio Bahamondes (wheel kick) vs. Roosevelt Roberts – UFC Vegas 34
Sergio Pettis (spinning backfist) vs. Kyoji Horiguchi – Bellator 272
Molly McCann (spinning back elbow) vs. Luana Carolina – UFC London
Roman Faraldo (flying knee) vs. Robert Turnquest – Bellator 271
You can vote now here for your choices until the voting concludes on Sept. 30. The venue and date for the award ceremony will be announced shortly.
Chandler’s Fight With Gaethje Won the UFC Fight of the Year 2021
Chandler and Gaethje collided in a highly anticipated matchup at UFC 268. The fight was expected to deliver an entertaining clash as the human “Highlight” reel Gaethje took on another one of the most exciting athletes in the promotion.
Both fighters went to brawl in a fight that lived up to the hype and was voted the 2021 UFC Fight of the Year.
Gaethje’s relatively more measured approach over the top five ranked Chandler got him the nod from the judges and earned him a second title shot against Oliveira.
“Iron” Mike went on to face Ferguson in his next outing, producing another incredible performance at UFC 274.
Chandler Is Leading the Race for Knockout of the Year
Coming off the most entertaining fight of the preceding twelve months, Chandler managed to fire up the crowd once more in his latest showing inside the octagon. He created history by becoming the first man to knock out “El Cucuy” with a deadly front kick to the face.
To witness Ferguson laying out cold on the canvas for the first time in his career and the shocking way it got done resulted in Chandler leading the race for the Knockout of the Year.
He got his second Performance of the Night award as well as the second place Crypto.com Fan Bonus of the Night prize. In the short period that he has been in the UFC, Chandler is proving to be the most electrifying man in mixed martial arts.