Michael Chandler insists he was ‘never out of the fight’ against Paddy Pimblett on Saturday night.
The former Bellator lightweight champion was outclassed for three rounds by Pimblett in the UFC 314 co-main event before being stopped via some heavy ground and pound in the third stanza.
GettyPimblett didn’t address the media post-fight[/caption]
It marked his third consecutive defeat and his fifth in his last six UFC outings.
In the immediate aftermath, Chandler left the Octagon before Bruce Buffer had announced the result.
Meanwhile, he did not attend his post-fight press conference or conduct any interviews with the media.
However, he did eventually break his silence on Monday night when he took to X, formerly Twitter, to write: “Never out of the fight.
“This picture sums it all up. As long as I’ve got these heartbeats and hands to hold, I’ve already won.”
Chandler accompanied the post with a picture of him holding hands with his son.
The photo had been uploaded on his wife Brie’s social media on fight night.
Chandler, a father of three, including two adopted sons, may have lost the fight, but his key takeaway from the weekend is that he is already winning in life.
When it comes to his MMA career, his future remains unclear.
Chandler entered the fight ranked No.7 in the UFC lightweight rankings.
However, the devastating defeat saw him drop five places to No.12.
At 38 years old, Chandler isn’t getting any younger, and it will be hard for him to climb back to the lightweight top table after so many consecutive setbacks.
He is now 2-5 inside MMA’s premier promotion, but despite this, UFC president Dana White had nothing but praise for the rugged veteran when he addressed the media post-fight.
“I mean, he’s always in the fight,” White said at the UFC 314 post-fight press conference.
“Tonight was a big night for Paddy Pimblett. Like we were just talking about, people have been doubting Paddy Pimblett every single fight he fights, and he’s undefeated in the UFC.
“But Chandler is like our Arturo Gatti, man. Every time that guy goes in, you know you’re in for a good fight, you know it’s going to be a war, and you don’t know whether he’s going to win or lose.”
