Michael Chandler Convinced Tony Ferguson is ‘Ready for a Resurgence’ as UFC 274 Approaches

Posted on by Matt James

The ever-outspoken Michael Chandler stopped by Morning Kombat to talk to Brian Campbell in the build-up to his fight against Tony Ferguson at UFC 274. The card is headlined by two title fights, with the lightweight strap on the in the main event between Charles Oliveira and Justin Gaethje.

Michael Chandler has faced both men in his last two fights and came up short in both of those outings. However, he put forward a good account of himself and is being rewarded by continuing to remain in the title picture despite being on a two-fight skid.

However, his opponent has plenty of work to do in order to climb back up to the top and his road back to contention begins through Michael Chandler.

Read More: ‘He’s Not as Powerful… He Doesn’t Have Explosive Takedowns’- Justin Gaethje Says Charles Oliveira’s Skill Set Doesn’t Compare to His Own Ahead of UFC 274

‘Iron’ Michael Chandler isn’t sleeping on Tony Ferguson

While some fans and fighters may have written off Tony Ferguson, who has suffered three straight defeats in dominant fashion, Michael Chandler isn’t one of them. In fact, Chandler believes that Tony Ferguson could certainly mount a comeback and that he is all geared in for this fight.

Per Chandler, losing fights at the elite level isn’t necessarily indicative of falling off and becoming an irrelevant player in the division.

“You back someone into a corner, that’s when they really come out fighting. I think Tony Ferguson is primed and ready for a resurgence. I think Tony still feels like in his mind he’s one of the top guys. You always got to remember, you’re fighting the toughest guys on the planet at a 155-pounds so if you lose a couple of fights, it’s not because you’ve necessarily lost a step.”

“It’s not indicative of losing a step. It’s indicative of the strength of schedule and how tough these fights are at the top of the division in the UFC. I mean, look at myself, I’ve got two losses in a row but I lost to the two guys that are fighting for a title just two fights after me on May 7th. We can all win or lose on any given night.”

Despite Chandler’s wariness of Tony Ferguson, another loss could truly derail his championship aspirations for good. He has been soundly bested in all of his fights and he’ll have to fight with a chip on his shoulder come UFC 274.