“Never out of the fight. This picture says it all. As long as I’ve got these heartbeats and hands to hold, I’ve already won,” wrote Michael Chandler on X after a stunning knockout loss to Paddy Pimblett. What was meant to be a triumphant Miami night for ‘Iron’ turned into one of the year’s biggest shocks inside the Octagon. Pimblett’s explosive win not only cements his status as a top contender, but also casts a cloud of uncertainty over Chandler’s future. Amid the chaos, Dustin Poirier and Henry Cejudo have stepped in—offering a lifeline and a path forward.

Was the two year wait for Conor McGregor a mistake by Michael Chandler? This question has been around the streets of UFC since the Miami encounter and in the middle of this storm, Henry Cejudo has come forward with a solution for the former Bellator champion. While having a conversation on Pound4Pound, Kamaru Usman asked the ‘Tripe C’ about Chandler’s fate, to which the former bantamweight and flyweight champion asserted, “I think Chandler should have just one more fight, man. Like, I really do. I think he should retire together with me, bro — maybe on the same card. That’s ’cause if I’m Michael Chandler… yeah, I’d retire, bro. That’s too many beatings, dude. He’s not even taking L’s, but that’s like elbow to the face — he’s always cut, he’s always bloody.”

He further added, “People forget. I think at this point he’s in my position — whatever the UFC wants, whatever the UFC is going to get them. They might give him a young, up-and-coming contender… and that’s when you’ll know what the UFC’s doing.” Michael Chandler is currently on a three-fight losing streak, which is a significant concern for him. Once hailed as the greatest exchange fighter to come from Bellator, ‘Iron’ now finds himself in a tough position. Losing back-to-back fights will not only hamper his record but also silence his voice when it comes to negotiations.

In addition to that, what concerns Michael Chandler is the fact that he takes a brutal beating every time he steps inside the Octagon, and this can be fatal when he grows old. Moreover, Cejudo is not the only one who is concerned about the former Bellator champion. Dustin Poirier has come forward to have his own thoughts in the equation as well. When asked about the fate of Chandler by Mike Bohn, ‘Diamond’ emphasized that he should seriously consider retiring, “I didn’t think Chandler looked great. I thought he had a good first round — got Paddy down, wrist-rode him against the fence, kind of squeaked it out. But he looked flat after that. He looked heavy on his feet, he looked exhausted.”

He further added, “And dude, like I said on the desk, everybody’s odometer has a different mileage — where things start to slow down and the wheels start to shake. And maybe that’s his time now. But only he knows that.” Dustin Poirier believes that Michael Chandler should retire before he breaks his limits. As ‘Iron’s career continues to be in life support, Robert Whittaker has come forward to give his own take on the hubbub.

Robert Whittaker gives a blunt verdict on Michael Chandler vs. Paddy Pimblett

At the conclusion of the UFC 314 co-main event, the world was shocked as Paddy Pimblett not only won the fight but also bloodied Michael Chandler so badly that many channels even censored it. Proving everyone wrong, the Briton became one of the top contenders for the promotion. Reacting to his victory, former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker came forward to give a sharp verdict on Chandler’s game plan.

“Mate, he had such control over Chandler. And Chandler is an explosive strong dude. Paddy was all over him. And you know what’s funny? Chandler’s like known for being sort of strong-built nugget. Paddy looked huge! Dude, Chandler got manhandled. He impressed the heck out of me and I’m pumped to see,” said Robert Whittaker.

He further added, “Cause you saw the end of the fight, he didn’t look like he had taken damage. Everything he was doing to Chandler, was hurting him. The calf kicks, and those leg kicks were hurting him. And the reactions and reads he was getting out of there were crazy! Every time Paddy would hit Chandler, Chandler would be backing up. It was so surprising to see.”

Michael Chandler was known for his explosive power, but it was nowhere to be seen when he clashed against Paddy Pimblett. Given that, is the former Bellator champion’s UFC chapter finished? State your opinion in the comments below.