Given that Justin Gaethje-Michael Chandler on Nov. 6 won Sherdog’s “Fight of the Year” for 2021, it should come as little surprise that the opening frame of their UFC 268 encounter, its crown jewel, also wins “Round of the Year.”
Gaethje and Chandler both rank among the most exciting fighters in the sport, and they are especially potent in the first round. For the first five minutes, Chandler—a tremendous blend of speed, accuracy and power—may easily be the best lightweight on the planet. He dropped Charles Oliveira and was a whisker away from finishing the Brazilian in the opening stanza as part of a dominant 10-8 round at UFC 262, and he owns an amazing 13 first-round finishes in 22 wins.