There’s a reason Michael Chandler is considered one of the most electrifying fighters in all of mixed martial arts.
The UFC lightweight star — set to face Charles Oliveira for a second time in a five-round co-main event at UFC 309 on November 16 — has built a reputation as a vicious knockout artist willing to stand and bang with many of the world’s most dangerous combat sports practitioners.
Win or lose, the former three-time Bellator Lightweight Champion has become a walking Fight/Performance of the Night recipient, endearing himself to millions of fight fans around the world.
However, his 2022 Knockout of the Year contender against Tony Ferguson is by far his most devastating blow, and remains one of the nastiest KOs in UFC history.
Chandler headed into the bout at UFC 274 in May 2022 on the back of consecutive losses to Charles Oliveira and Justin Gaethje.
A loss to former Interim UFC Lightweight Champion Ferguson — who entered the bout on his own three-fight skid — would have seen his UFC ranking plummet and all but ended any feint hopes he had of getting a title shot.
After weathering a barrage of significant strikes in the opening stanza, ‘Iron’ landed a picture-perfect front kick on ‘El Cucuy’ in Round 2, becoming the first man to ever properly shut Ferguson’s lights out inside the famous Octagon.
The ruthless kick landed straight under Ferguson’s chin and sent him crashing down to the mat face first, where he remained out cold.
Ferguson, who appeared to be unconscious for several minutes, was soon taken to a local hospital, as slow motion footage of the painfully sweet connection did the rounds on social media.
His face looked disfigured the moment Chandler’s foot connected with it, leaving him unrecognisable as every ounce of skin on his face rippled simultaneously.
“This doesn’t even look real,” one fan commented.
“I got hit in the head badly last Saturday and it was a terrible feeling not remembering anything from the start of the second round until I got to the ambulance,” Ferguson wrote days after regaining his consciousness.
“I thank God every day when I came back to ‘reality’. All joking aside, I didn’t mean to scare you, but I should have done things differently like ‘hands up and chin down’ and it’s my fault I lost like that.”
For three-time NCAA All-American wrestler Chandler, it was a career-defining yet impromptu strike that led to his hand being raised.
“It’s the exact opposite of the way I planned it,” Chandler told Sports Illustrated following the victory.
“The distance didn’t seem perfect to me. I just threw something up the middle, and it landed. Then I felt the impact and saw him crumble.
“I never, ever thought I would have thrown a front kick and knocked him out. But here we are.”
In the aftermath of the KO, UFC President Dana White admitted it was one of the best knockouts he’d ever seen.
“I don’t know anything about Tony, other than that was the most vicious knockout I’ve ever seen,” White said at the UFC 274 post-fight press conference.
The blow went on to finish second on the UFC’s official 2022 Knockout of the Year list, behind Leon Edwards‘ stunning head kick KO of Kamaru Usman in the dying moments of their UFC 278 main event.
After picking up the most impressive win of his career against Ferguson, Chandler hopped on the mic and instantly called for a fight with UFC superstar Conor McGregor at welterweight.
“I got one dude on my mind,” Chandler told Joe Rogan post-fight.
“Conor McGregor! You gotta come back and fight somebody!
“I am the most entertaining lightweight on the planet. I wanna up the stakes, Conor. I want you at your biggest, I want you at your baddest, and I want you at your best.
“You and me at 170! This summer, this fall, this winter. Holla at your boy. God bless. I’ll see you at the top!”
Despite calling for ‘The Notorious’, Chandler’s next scrap was against another UFC Interim Lightweight Champion in Dustin Poirier.
He lost the fight via a rear-naked choke submission in the third round and earned a Fight of the Night award.
Chandler and McGregor were on a collision course as coaches on The Ultimate Fighter 31 before their scheduled 170lb bout at UFC 303 on June 29, 2024.
However, the Irishman’s long-awaited return to the UFC after breaking his leg during a defeat to Poirier in 2021 was postponed after suffering another injury setback.
With the fight stuck in limbo and Chandler growing weary of waiting for McGregor’s return, he accepted a fight with Brazilian Oliveira at UFC 309 — headlined by a UFC Heavyweight Championship bout between current champion Jon Jones and former two-time champion Stipe Miocic.
Chandler previously fought ‘do Bronx’ back in 2021 for the vacant UFC lightweight championship following the retirement of Khabib Nurmagomedov.
He dominated the opening round but lost the fight via knockout.
Now the No. 7 ranked UFC lightweight, Chandler will be seeking revenge in the rematch, with a win set to see him climb towards the top of the 155lb picture once again.
