MMA is unique among sports in that animosity between athletes generally isn’t viewed as a bad thing. The promotion has seen its fair share of bitter rivalries, some of which have escalated to levels that extend beyond the 746 square feet. While many fighters can put their differences aside once the bout is over, there are cases where tensions continue to simmer even after the fight. The ongoing feud between Dustin Poirier and Michael Chandler is a prime example of this, and it seems unlikely that we will see a resolution anytime soon.
The fight between Poirier and Chandler quickly escalated into a brutal showdown, with both fighters giving it their all in a true bloodbath. However, Poirier, despite winning, had some strong feelings about Chandler’s tactics in the Octagon. He was particularly frustrated by the series of fouls Chandler committed, including an attempt at a fishhook.
‘The Diamond’ also revealed on the Outta Pocket with RGIII podcast that he retaliated with a dirty move of his own, “Then he stuck his fingers in my mouth to lift my neck up for a rear-naked choke, right? He’s on my back, I’m trying to get up off the fence. He sticks his fingers inside my mouth, grips my mouth guard, pulls my head up to try and get his hand under my chin—bro, I bite his fingers so hard.”
After a two-year struggle to secure a long-awaited showdown with Conor McGregor that never materialized, he found himself back in the Octagon facing a familiar rival, Charles Oliveira, in a rematch at the UFC 309. Although ‘Du Bronx’ put on a dominating performance with a 4-0 score, Michael Chandler managed to shake things up by rocking the Brazilian in the 5th round. But in a desperate bid to turn the fight in his favor, some of his ground-and-pound attempts landed on the back of Oliveira’s head, prompting fans to call him out for it.
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Even Charles Oliveira didn’t hold back from telling on Michael Chandler at the UFC 309 post-fight presser, saying, “You know, I’m not here to criticize but I want to tell you something, there were a lot of blows to the back of the head, a lot of fence grabbing, there was also some eye-pokes and I was telling him [the referee] what was going on.”
Dustin Poirier is set to be an analyst for UFC 314, joining UFC Hall of Famer Chael Sonnen and former lightweight title challenger Anthony Smith. Michael Chandler responded to the news by commenting on an MMA Junkie post, saying, “Should be… fun.” Fans quickly noted that Poirier is likely to be very critical when discussing his fight with Paddy Pimblett, especially if something blows out of proportion. So, let’s see what fans are saying.
MMA fans react to Dustin Poirier becoming analyst for UFC 314
Dustin Poirier has teased retirement, so a user believes he will do an amazing job as a commentator, “That’s awesome! Everyone loves Dustin. He’ll be great! Next step for him is to be a commentator.” Another user went a step further, and suggested that ‘The Diamond’ should replace Joe Rogan, whenever the long-time commentator retires, “Should replace Joe Rogan in the standard PPV commentary crew when Joe retires.”
The feud has been re-ignited, and a user believes that Poirier will do the fight analysis with a smile on his face, “If Chandler gets wrecked he’s gonna do his analysis with a giant smirk.” Another user commented, that Chandler should be a little careful with his approach or he’s definitely getting called out, and indicated that Conor McGregor will also throw a critical post, “Bro getting called out regardless of what happens and Mcgregor will throw a tweet into the mix.” Another user also foresaw a rematch for Poirier’s retirement fight, “If Chandler wins, there definitely gonna set up Chandler vs Dustin 2 and vice versa if Paddy wins.”
While many are thinking that Poirier might be a good commentator for the promotion, some are a little skeptical of this thought. One user wrote, “Weakest fighter on the mic by far, he almost got a stroke the first time, why to even torment him lol.” Another user just isn’t having it with this arrangement and wrote, “Nobody wants to listen to this interim champ.”
Do you think Dustin Poirier and Michael Chandler will fight again? Let us know in the comments down below.
The post Bad News for Michael Chandler as Fans Are Sure Dustin Poirier “Will Be Calling Out All the Cheating” After UFC 314 Update appeared first on EssentiallySports.
