Getty Michael Chandler (top) & Dustin Poirier (bottom).
Former three-time Bellator lightweight champion Michael Chandler was challenged to a fight by rising UFC star Mateusz Gamrot.
Chandler moved from Bellator to the UFC in 2020 and since then, he’s gone on a 2-3 stretch, including a defeat to Charles Oliveira for the vacant 155-pound belt in May 2021. Most recently, “Iron” dueled perennial top contender Dustin Poirier in November at UFC 281, and he lost the “Fight of the Night” scrap via third-round rear-naked choke.
Knockout wins over Dan Hooker and Tony Ferguson have bolstered Chandler’s lightweight ranking, where he currently sits at No. 5. Well, Gamrot is looking to become a top-five fighter by fighting Chandler next.
“Wake up and Lets go @MikeChandlerMMA,” Gamrot tweeted on January 11 in response to a fan-made fight poster. See below:
Gamrot Has Only Lost Twice in His Pro Career, Which Includes a Decision to Beneil Dariush
Gamrot is ranked No. 7 in the stacked division. Boasting a 21-2 (with one no-contest) record, “Gamer” took on the biggest test of his professional mixed martial arts career in October at UFC 280 when he drew Beneil Dariush. Unfortunately for Gamrot, he was unable to capture Dariush’s No. 4 ranking, losing the match via unanimous decision.
The loss to Dariush was preceded by a four-fight win streak which includes a headlining decision victory against Arman Tsarukyan, as well as finishes over Diego Ferreira, Jeremy Stephens and Scott Holtzman.
Prior to the four wins, Gamrot made his Octagon debut in October 2020. He took on another streaking fighter at the time, Guram Kutateladze, but lost the contest by split decision. The defeat snapped Gamer’s 18-fight unbeaten streak, marking the first loss of his career.
Matt Browns Thinks Chandler Needs to ‘Fix His Strategy’
Chandler owns a 23-8 professional record with 11 wins via KO/TKO and seven by submission. And although Chandler has leaned on his wrestling to build his career, which — as mentioned — includes winning the Bellator lightweight title three times, he’s gotten away from grappling his opponents. Instead, Iron has implemented a powerful, blitzing style, which has made for some exciting moments inside the Octagon.
Chandler has won either “Fight of the Night” or “Performance of the Night” honors in four of his five UFC appearances. But, UFC veteran Matt Brown believes Iron needs to change something up should he want to contend for another divisional title.
“He needs to fix his strategy,” Brown said in a recent interview with MMA Fighting. “In my particular style, that’s just how I fight. That’s how I beat guys. I go in, I wear them out, I make it a tough fight, kind of a Dustin Poirier kind of thing. We go in, we make it dirty, make it grimy, and guys get worn out and overwhelmed by it.
“Now Michael Chandler, we get the feeling — at least me and you and the people watching — he doesn’t have to do that. He is fighting for the fans. There’s basically two different ways to fight. Do you want to fight for the fans or do you want to fight for yourself and win?”