Michael Chandler might already have, “Dana White Privilege,” but he was also named the company’s Arturo Gatti in the wake of his submission loss to Dustin Poirier (watch highlights) at UFC 281 last night inside Madison Square Garden in New York City.
“Iron” put on another ridiculously fun fight, but came up short to “The Diamond” in the third round. The former Bellator MMA Lightweight champion has had nothing but bangers and violent fights since joining UFC in 2020 and has been rewarded with four “Performance of the Night” bonuses.
During the UFC 281 post-fight press conference (watch it here), company President, Dana White, compared Chandler to iconic boxer, Arturo Gatti.
“Yeah, he’s fun — he’s like our Arturo Gatti,” White told the media. “You know what I mean? He’s a fun guy. He’s always in fun fights. He comes to fight, man. He leaves it all in there. That’s why people love him. He’s fun to watch...He’s a great kid. I like him a lot.”
Like Chandler, Gatti — who passed away under suspicious circumstances back in 2009 — was known for his incredible heart, iron chin and for always putting on exciting fights. Gatti was awarded several “Fight of the Year” accolades throughout his epic career, and Chandler is on his way to matching that.
Chandler picked up his second “Fight of Night” bonus after his war with Poirier last night, and White admitted he should have paid them both the day prior.
“Yeah, I mean, it was awesome,” he concluded. “It was one of the best first rounds I’ve seen in a very long time — maybe ever. There was no doubt going into tonight that that was going to be the ‘Fight of the Night.’ We should have probably just paid those guys yesterday.”
For complete UFC 281: “Adesanya Vs. Pereira” results and play-by-play, click HERE.
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