Laura Sanko believes Michael Chandler faces a must-win situation at UFC Freedom 250.
Chandler (23-10 MMA, 2-5 UFC) will look to snap a three-fight losing skid when he takes on rising lightweight contender Mauricio Ruffy (13-2 MMA, 4-1 UFC) on Sunday (Paramount+) at the White House in Washington DC.
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Sanko thinks it’s the perfect time for Chandler and Ruffy to fight, and expects the former Bellator champion to bring it – despite the odds being stacked against him.
“There’s a ton of pressure,” Sanko told MMA Junkie. “There’s no other way to look at it. There’s a ton of pressure on Michael Chandler. I think he does well in those situations. I don’t think he crumbles mentally. He’s fighting time at this point in terms of what he’s able to actually execute versus the peak of his career, which is perhaps before he got to the UFC. It’s an interesting matchup. I don’t ever count Michael Chandler out because he’s the type of guy who is going to go out there and will bring the fight. It’s tough to pump up his stats necessarily in terms of just strings of knockouts or strings of incredible wins, but if you look at his resume and the type of fights that he had against Charles Oliveira, against Justin Gaethje, the moments that he had against those guys in particular, it’s not like he’s showing himself to be completely incapable of winning fights at this level.
“He’s got a big challenge in Ruffy. He’s got a really unique style with that stance that’s kind of Conor McGregor-esque movement. The big thing for Chandler here is just figuring out how to close the distance, throw those bombs, get in close, and maybe grapple him up a little bit. But Ruffy is kind of a master at maintaining that range. That’s the challenge. I don’t know. I think with that American flag dropped over his shoulders, walking out at the White House, if there ever was a drug that was legal to ingest, it would be Michael Chandler at the White House. He’s going to be high as a kite in the best way possible.”
The former UFC title challenger hasn’t won a fight since knocking out Tony Ferguson in May 2022. Although Chandler has only fought elite-level competition since then, a loss to Ruffy would be detrimental. That’s why Sanko sees Chandler changing things up with his game plan.
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“I think he will (try to wrestle),” Sanko added. “You have to make it a true mixed martial arts fight. He’s got great top pressure when he’s able to get down and control guys, so I think he’s going to look to wrestle here. He just has to be really careful on his entries obviously.”
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC Freedom 250: Michael Chander faces ‘ton of pressure’
