Michael Chandler has, without a doubt, endured a frustrating 2023. Having been sidelined since late 2022 for a fight against Conor McGregor, Chandler finds himself in a tough spot. In the meantime, he has also made new rivals, with Colby Covington the latest name on the list.
Previously, Covington took on Leon Edwards in the main event of UFC 296. Challenging for the title a third time, there was a real expectation that the American would finally deliver. In the buildup to the fight, Colby continued his trash talk and even crossed the limit at one point. However, on the night, his performance was nothing short of abysmal as he lost via decision.
I’d respond to @ColbyCovMMA but I’m fearful of his ambulance chancing, cut-rate attorney…I have enough on my plate….I don’t need a bogus defamation suit based on my accurate tweets. Fighters don’t sue fighters for fighting. How’s your “brain damage” kid?
— Michael Chandler (@MikeChandlerMMA) December 29, 2023
Since then “Chaos” has been hitting out at everyone that has criticized him for the loss. Naturally, owing to Chandler’s comments on the same, he was among those retaliated against. Thus, taking to Twitter/X, the lightweight title contender penned his response. “I’d respond to @ColbyCovMMA but I’m fearful of his ambulance chancing, cut-rate attorney…I have enough on my plate….I don’t need a bogus defamation suit based on my accurate tweets. Fighters don’t sue fighters for fighting. How’s your “brain damage” kid?”
Much like everyone else, “Iron” jumped on the bandwagon to embarrass Colby for his performance. Labeling him as a disgrace to the country and mocking his friendship with Donald Trump, Chandler did not pull any punches. For the most part, fans and the MMA community were relieved to see Michael focusing on something else other than Conor McGregor.
What did Colby Covington say about Michael Chandler?
As for Covington, the now three-time welterweight challenger showed no remorse for his horrendous UFC 296 performance. At the end of the fight, he even threw his arms up and made the belt sign as though he had won. However, it was genuinely alarming to see the 35-year-old pretend as though he had not just put in the worst performance of his career.
To make matters even more embarrassing for himself, Covington claimed that the judges were biased against him due to his support for Trump. Ironically, the former US President did not even stick around for Colby’s post-fight speech either. Currently, he is facing serious charges that could disrupt his Presidential campaign. Further, Colby continued his shameless behavior by making more excuses on numerous podcasts.
Notably, Covington also claimed to have broken his foot, 30 seconds into the fight. Speaking on the PBD podcast, the former interim title holder then lashed out at other fighters. “Michael Chandler, who?” Colby said, responding to comments from the UFC lightweight contender. “That guy was getting knocked out in Bellator, that guy is a complete scrub. What’s his UFC record? Like 1-4? We’re talking about that? My win percentage in the UFC is like over 90%, it’s just, I’m an all-time great in this division.”
For one, Covington is wrong about both things. As it turns out, Chandler is currently 2-3 in the UFC, and Colby himself does not have a 90% or above win rate either. All things considered, many have been wondering as to what would be next for Colby. With his recent callouts of Stephen Thompson, Ian Garry, and now Michael Chandler, a potential fight against either would be the right move.