Michael Chandler has disclosed that his initially planned opponent for a June 14th fight was a top-ranked lightweight contender. This matchup ultimately did not materialize, leading to Chandler’s current scheduled bout against No. 9 ranked 155-pound fighter Mauricio Ruffy at UFC Freedom 250.
Chandler’s original intention was to face Conor McGregor on June 14th, but the UFC had different plans and was no longer pursuing that particular fight. McGregor is now set to make his return against Max Holloway at UFC 329, while Chandler will face Ruffy.
However, Chandler recently revealed during an interview with Megan Olivi that he had agreed to fight an opponent ranked within the top five of the lightweight division. Although he did not name the fighter, Chandler stated that this individual was unavailable to compete on June 14th. Consequently, the UFC proposed a fight against Mauricio Ruffy, which Chandler accepted.
“At the very beginning, there was a different opponent that I accepted,” Chandler stated. “But he wasn’t able to compete at that time. He is inside the top 5. He wasn’t able to make it. They [UFC] said what do you think about Ruffy, I said ‘Of course.’”
Speculation points to Arman Tsarukyan as the likely top-five opponent Chandler is referring to. Tsarukyan had previously mentioned that the UFC had considered a fight between him and Chandler. According to Tsarukyan, these plans were later abandoned when the promotion determined it would be a challenging stylistic matchup for Chandler, who is on a three-fight losing streak and could be nearing retirement if he suffers another defeat.
“They called me about Michael Chandler,” Tsarukyan commented on the PBD Podcast. “They wanted to match me up with Chandler, but then they realized it’s a bad fight for him. He represents them, and it’s like a 99.9% chance I beat him. So they went with Ruffy instead.”
Outside of Tsarukyan, other top-five lightweights were either already booked for upcoming fights or were considered unlikely opponents for Chandler at this time.
The fact that Tsarukyan is slated to be the backup fighter for the UFC Freedom 250 main event may also have influenced the UFC’s decision not to book him against Chandler for the June 14th card.
—
English Translation:
Michael Chandler has now revealed that he was originally scheduled to fight a top lightweight contender on June 14th. However, that matchup did not come to fruition, and Chandler is now set to face the No. 9 ranked 155-pound contender Mauricio Ruffy at UFC Freedom 250.
Chandler had initially wanted to face Conor McGregor on June 14th, but the UFC had other plans and was no longer interested in that matchup. McGregor is now slated to make his UFC return against Max Holloway at UFC 329, while Chandler will face Ruffy as mentioned.
However, the UFC had something else planned for the 40-year-old, as “Iron” recently claimed. During a recent sit-down with Megan Olivi, Michael Chandler revealed that he had accepted a fight against a top-five opponent. While Chandler did not disclose the fighter’s name, he stated that the opponent would not be ready to compete on June 14th. As a result, the UFC offered him a matchup against Mauricio Ruffy instead. He said:
“At the very beginning, there was a different opponent that I accepted. But he wasn’t able to compete at that time. He is inside the top 5. He wasn’t able to make it. They [UFC] said what do you think about Ruffy, I said ‘Of course.’”
There is a strong possibility that Michael Chandler is referring to top lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan. Tsarukyan had previously claimed that the UFC had considered matching him up against Chandler. However, according to the 29-year-old, those plans were later scrapped after the promotion realized he could be a difficult stylistic matchup for “Iron,” who is already on a three-fight losing streak and might be pushed towards retirement with another defeat. On the PBD Podcast, Tsarukyan stated:
“They called me about Michael Chandler. They wanted to match me up with Chandler, but then they realized it’s a bad fight for him. He represents them, and it’s like a 99.9% chance I beat him. So they went with Ruffy instead.”
Aside from “Ahalkalakets” (Tsarukyan), all other fighters in the top five (155 pounds) are either already booked for upcoming bouts or were highly unlikely to face Michael Chandler next.
Tsarukyan will serve as the backup fighter for the UFC Freedom 250 main event, which could be a reason why the promotion decided not to have him face Chandler on June 14th.