After an incredible promotional debut at UFC 257 with a knockout win over Dan Hooker, number four ranked lightweight contender Michael Chandler sat down with ESPN’s Ariel Helwani to talk about what’s next in his UFC career.

Chandler started off by naming his top priority and his preferred opponent.

“I think with Dustin Poirier’s performance, I think with my performance, I think both of those warrant for us to fight for the title next,” Chandler said.

“Dustin Poirier needs to be one half of that world title conversation, obviously. He’s earned it.”

However, Chandler is well aware that he might not get that title shot next. Especially against Poirier, who has said he doesn’t think Chandler deserves a fight with him after a victory over Hooker, whom Poirier defeated last July.

If Chandler does not get the first fight on his wish list, he already knows who would be next if it were up to him.

“If I don’t get the next title shot, I understand why,” Chandler said. “I’m just kind of taking it in stride. I will be indifferent about that decision.”

“I think (Justin Gaethje) is a fight that excites me. I think it’s a fight where I match up extremely well,” Chandler continued. “You had a guy who I tangled with a couple times named Eddie Alvarez, who beat Justin Gaethje whenever they fought for the unofficial title of most violent guy in the UFC. Eddie Alvarez won that fight. I think I’m the new most violent guy in the UFC, if Justin Gaethje wants to prove that, he’s gonna need to step into the octagon against me.”

Chandler also noted that he was offered a fight with a top lightweight contender in the very near future.

In fact, Chandler even flew down to Florida with the belief that he would train for this fight, but ultimately, the other lightweight in question declined the bout offer.

“I was ready to stay [in Florida] and train for the next eight days and then hop on a flight to Vegas,” Chandler said. “This opportunity did not come to fruition based on the other person saying no. But I said yes, I’m trying to get some clarity in this lightweight division.”

It was later reported that it was number three ranked lightweight contender Charles Oliveira who turned down a non-title fight against Chandler at UFC 258 in February. His coach, Diego Lima, told Sherdog.com that they turned down the Chandler bout because it was short notice and Oliveira believes he should be fighting for the UFC lightweight title next.

Whether his next opponent is Justin Gaethje, Dustin Poirier, or any of the other sharks swimming in the top five of the lightweight division, Michael Chandler is here to stay.

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What’s next for the UFC in 2021?

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Article source: https://www.mmaweekly.com/michael-chandler-im-the-new-most-violent-guy-in-the-ufc

Conor McGregor suffered the first TKO loss of his career when Dustin Poirier took his leg out from under him at UFC 257. McGregor has shown nothing but resolve since, even when rehashing the bout for his fans on Instagram.

McGregor posted a few highlights on Wednesday, but included a rather lengthy assessment of how the fight went down, what positives he took away from it, and his understanding of why Poirier was so successful with his low calf kicks.

Conor McGregor’s UFC 257 breakdown:

“What a trilogy I now have on my hands. Exciting! 

With a handle on the leg kicks, I will get back to having fun in there. I was in second gear cruising this fight. Best condition I’ve ever been in. After the wrestling and clinch exchanges my shots still held their pop. First time for me with this, so I am very encouraged to keep going. It was the first time I did not use/nor need the stool between rounds also. I did need the stool after tho that’s for sure.

I am extremely happy I did not need to use the stool between rounds here anyway. Another first for me! I am most certainly on the right path. Despite the loss I am on the correct path of evolution.

Thoughts on the bout: I enjoyed racking up some more time inside the famed UFC Octagon. 40 seconds in 3 years is all I’d had up to this bout. I was savoring every second and enjoying my work. A little single disciplined in my approach and stance with mostly boxing. It’s what I get for picking this bout and opponent as a precursor to a boxing match against Pacman. I deserved to get the legs kicked off me going in with this thinking. This is not the game to play around with.

Besides this though, my shots where sharp and I was in full control. Albeit the leg attacks where building up on me throughout the course. 18 in total thrown at me, with the final one buckling my leg fully, that was that. The peroneal nerve compromised. Fascinating! First time to experience it. Then a tremendous finishing flurry by my opponent.

Hats off! A well fought fight by The Diamond. 1 a piece now with a Trilogy bout for all the marbles! Wow! Exciting! Not a trilogy I was expecting, nor the tactical affair I was anticipating, but I’d be lying if I said this wasn’t meant to be. This is exactly how this was always meant to be! Buzzing!!”

TRENDING Joe Rogan: Is Conor McGregor still a UFC title contender?

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UFC 257: Conor McGregor vs Dustin Poirier recap highlights

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Article source: https://www.mmaweekly.com/conor-mcgregor-rehashes-ufc-257-loss-to-dustin-poirier-i-deserved-to-get-the-legs-kicked-off-me

Clay Collard thinks Jake Paul venturing into the world of boxing is disrespectful to the sport.

MMA fighter Collard, who recently laced up the gloves to start a pro boxing career in 2017, has found success in the ring, amassing a record of 9-3-3.

While Collard has captured plenty of headlines for his successful boxing career, it wasn’t quite at the magnitude of YouTube sensation Paul, who has the whole combat sports world talking despite never competing against an actual boxer.

After scoring knockouts of fellow YouTube star KSI and former NBA player Nate Robinson, Paul has drawn former Bellator welterweight champion and ex-UFC fighter Ben Askren on April 17.

Considering that not only has Askren never boxed in his life, but also isn’t known for his striking, Collard thinks the matchup is a mockery of the sport, even taking aim at Askren for joining in the festivities.

“I don’t even want to talk about it, bro,” Collard told MMA Junkie. “It’s embarrassing to me. That’s stupid to me. Jake Paul, I mean he doesn’t box boxers. It’s all fake to me. They’re not fighters, man, and shame on Ben Askren for taking the fight. And Ben Askren might get beat up because he’s the guy (who) don’t know how to box at all. So I don’t know, man. It’s just embarrassing to me. Jake Paul should not be in combat sports. Go back to making YouTube videos, bro.

“I said it back when (the Paul brothers) first started fighting. People have been working their entire lives to get on those big shows and get opportunities like that, and just because this guy has a little bit of a following, he just gets tossed in there and gets to fight on these shows and fight these guys, and I just think it’s embarrassing for the sport.”

Collard (18-8-1) will re-shift his focus to MMA when he enters PFL’s upcoming 2021 lightweight season with the likes of former UFC lightweight champ Anthony Pettis and reigning PFL champ Natan Schulte. He will compete in MMA for the first time since April 2019, when he picked up a unanimous decision win over Randall Wallace at Final Fight Championship 35.

Article source: https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/2021/02/jake-paul-vs-ben-askren-boxing-match-embarrassing-clay-collard-reaction

UFC Fight Night 184 this Saturday features a pair of veterans in pursuit of UFC titles – one for the first time and the other looking for a second run.

In the main event, Alistair Overeem meets Alexander Volkov in a key heavyweight clash. And in the co-headliner, former lightweight champion Frankie Edgar meets Cory Sandhagen in a pivotal bantamweight showdown.

Overeem, 40, would be on a five-fight winning streak if not for a miracle last-second knockout loss to Jairzinho Rozenstruik, but he’s won four of five and would push his winning streak to three if he beats Volkov. Edgar, meanwhile, hopes to earn a title shot in a third division at 39, and a victory over Sandhagen – coming off a win over Pedro Munhoz in his 135-pound debut – would put him right in consideration.

With that in mind, who do you think has the better chance at earning a title shot between Overeem and Edgard? Our “Spinning Back Clique” panel of “Gorgeous” George Garcia, Nolan King, and Danny Segura weighed in during this week’s episode.

You can watch that discussion in the video above. The full episode can be seen below.

Article source: https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/2021/02/ufc-alistair-overeem-or-frankie-edgar-better-chance-title-shot-video

An intriguing stylistic matchup between streaking heavyweights will take center stage on Feb. 20.

After their initial November booking was scrapped, Curtis Blaydes (14-2 MMA, 9-2 UFC) will take on Derrick Lewis (24-7 MMA, 15-5 UFC) in the UFC Fight Night 185 main event, which takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Both men will look to enter title contention when the division’s most prolific takedown artist takes on the division’s record holder for most knockouts in UFC heavyweight history.

Check out the official poster for UFC Fight Night 185 below (via Instagram):

A post shared by ufc (@ufc)

The pre-fight artwork features the two heavyweight contenders standing face-to-face, with a deep red color filter applied as the pair stare one another down. But will it be Blaydes or Lewis who puts the heavyweight title on red alert after Saturday’s clash?

The latest UFC Fight Night 185 card includes:

• Curtis Blaydes vs. Derrick Lewis
• Chris Daukaus vs. Aleksei Oleinik
• Darrick Minner vs. Charles Rosa
• Jai Herbert vs. Drakkar Klose
• Danny Chavez vs. Jared Gordon
• Shana Dobson vs. Casey O’Neill
• Jamall Emmers vs. Chas Skelly
• Rafael Alves vs. Mike Trizano
• Andrei Arlovski vs. Tom Aspinall
• Julian Erosa vs. Nate Landwehr
• Nassourdine Imavov vs. Phil Hawes
• Drako Rodriguez vs. Aiemann Zahabi
• Ketlen Vieira vs. Yana Kunitskaya
• Serghei Spivac vs. Jared Vanderaa
• John Castaneda vs. Eddie Wineland

The Blue Corner is MMA Junkie’s blog space. We don’t take it overly serious, and neither should you. If you come complaining to us that something you read here is not hard-hitting news, expect to have the previous sentence repeated in ALL CAPS.

Article source: https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/2021/02/ufc-fight-night-185-poster-curtis-blaydes-and-derrick-lewis-see-red-in-official-pre-fight-artwork