Sherdog’s Top 10: Fighters Outside the UFC

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8. Michael Chandler
Record: 13-3
Organization: Bellator MMA

Former Bellator MMA lightweight champion Chandler got off to the hottest of hot starts in his career, running off a 12-0 mark in his first four years as a professional. Former champion and consensus top lightweight Eddie Alvarez fell in the fourth round of a “Fight of the Year” candidate in November 2011, and Chandler defended the title twice more, taking out Rick Hawn and David Rickels in less than nine minutes combined.

Going into his rematch with Alvarez in November 2013, Chandler looked like the next big thing, one of the true success stories of the Bjorn Rebney regime in Bellator. Chandler dropped a controversial decision to Alvarez, however, and lost his next fight to Will Brooks in even more contentious fashion. Brooks left no doubt in their second meeting, finishing Chandler in the fourth round.

The onetime rising star had hit a hard wall. He got back on track on June 19 with a win over Derek Campos, but for the former consensus top lightweight outside the UFC, that was a long drop. His talent is still undeniable, but questions remain, and until he beats the likes of Brooks, Dave Jansen or some of Bellator’s other top talent, the whispers will rightfully continue.

Number 7 » His style, particularly against elite competition, is not aesthetically pleasing to most fans. He remains a grinding wrestle-grappler who relies on chain wrestling and top position pressure to win fights, and his pillow-fisted, volume-oriented striking style has won him few admirers in fights where he fails to get it to the mat. Make no mistake, however, he is still an elite fighter.