Michael Chandler didn’t end up on the right side of the scorecards following his lightweight clash with Justin Gaethje at UFC 268, but the bout will go down as one of the year’s best.
Chandler fell to Gaethje via unanimous decision in a “Fight of the Year” contender on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden in New York. It was the former Bellator champion’s second consecutive defeat within the Las Vegas-based promotion following a knockout of Dan Hooker in his Octagon debut.
Chandler was able to rock Gaethje with his right hand in the opening stanza, but as the bout progressed, his opponent took control behind a steady diet of low kicks and power punches.