UFC 257: Michael Chandler TKOs Dan Hooker in first round, calls out Khabib Nurmagomedov
- Former Bellator champ’s UFC debut ends in stunning first-round TKO and signals new star has arrived
- ‘Surprise, surprise. There’s a new king in the lightweight division,’ says Chandler
Welcome to the UFC, “Iron” Michael Chandler.
The American lightweight star made a stunning debut on Sunday, using all of two and a half minutes to first stalk and then shut out Dan Hooker in the UFC 257 co-main event in Abu Dhabi.
Then came the call outs.
“I gotta get something off my chest,” said Chandler in the cage, post-fight. ‘This is the greatest moment in my professional life. Conor McGregor. Surprise, surprise. There’s a new king in the lightweight division. Dustin Poirier. Your time is coming. And Khabib [Nurmagomedov] if you ever see fit to grace us with your presence back here in the UFC Octagon, in your quest for 30 and 0 you gotta beat somebody. So beat me – if you can.”
It was a brilliant straight left to the chin that put the Kiwi’s lights out. It was a right to the guts that set up the TKO. And all questions about how the former Bellator champ might go on the biggest stage there is were duly answered.