Michael Chandler needed a win at UFC 274, and he got it in absolutely spectacular fashion with a knockout over one of the most durable fighters in UFC history.
Chandler-Ferguson was one of the most highly anticipated matchups on Saturday night, inside the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona. It says a lot about the reputation of both men considering that they entered the bout with a combined 0-5 record in their last five bouts.
The bout had an air of urgency because each really needed a W and it showed right away as there was no feeling-out process in the fight. Ferguson used his patented pressure style and unorthodox striking while “Iron” looked to counterstrike with his explosive power.
As the first round played out, the momentum was behind Ferguson as his opponent had trouble dealing with the odd techniques “El Cucuy” deploys. At one point, the former lightweight champion landed an overhand that wobbled Chandler. Luckily for the three-time Bellator champion, he was able to quickly recover and even made use of his skilled wrestling to take control of the action.
The first round ended with Chandler scoring points while he controlled his foe on the mat. When the fight restarted in the second, however, it did not last very long. Fifteen seconds into the round, Chandler unleashed a front kick that landed square on Ferguson’s chin and put him to sleep instantly. The man that was once the boogie man of the division was left face down and prone for several minutes.
It was an absolutely shocking visual to see one of the most durable competitors in UFC history be completely decimated in one fell swoop. Especially in a fight that he was doing well in.
The win ended Chandler’s losing streak and jumped him right back into title contention in the UFC lightweight division. Unfortunately for Ferguson, the loss extended his losing streak to four and put a final nail in the coffin of his days of top-10 relevancy at lightweight.
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