Sherdog's 2021 Fight of the Year

Some fights are simply destined to deliver violence.

In the case of Justin Gaethje-Michael Chandler, it would have been much more shocking if the lightweights had failed to deliver an all-action showcase in front of a packed house at Madison Square Garden in New York on Nov. 6. Instead, they might have actually surpassed the hype that preceded their UFC 268 clash.

Given each man’s respective history, it should come as no surprise that Gaethje-Chandler is Sherdog.com’s “Fight of the Year” for 2021. Gaethje forged a reputation as must-see TV thanks to his brawls with Luiz Palomino in World Series of Fighting before winning “Fight of the Year” for his Octagon debut against Michael Johnson in 2017. Meanwhile, Chandler’s legendary duels with Eddie Alvarez in Bellator MMA were leading contenders for top fight honors on two separate occasions.

With the lightweight title on the line approximately one month after UFC 268, the stakes were laid out by Gaethje himself heading into the highly anticipated pairing.

“If I win Saturday and I don’t get a [title] shot, I riot,” he said at media day. “There’s no way I can let that happen and go away quiet.”

A few days before UFC 268, the lightweight bout was repositioned as the curtain-jerker for the evening’s pay-per-view lineup. While it is fun to think that the promotion made the move hoping to set the tone for the rest of the main draw with an all-out slugfest at the top of the lineup, the reasoning had more to do with consideration for Gaethje’s coach, Trevor Wittman, who also needed to be in the corner of Rose Namajunas later that night. As it turned out, Gaethje and Chandler proved to be an extremely tough act to follow—even on one of the year’s best cards.

The opening round, like the fight itself, was one of the year’s finest. There would be no feeling-out period, as both men traded with bad intentions from the opening bell. Chandler, in particular, was throwing everything with full power, which may have hindered him as time progressed. Early on, however, he hurt and staggered Gaethje with one of his trademark right hands. It was a blow that has finished many a lesser fighter, but Gaethje regained his bearings in relatively short order and buckled Chandler with a right uppercut as his adversary waded forward. Toward the end of the frame, Chandler spit out blood, then ate another uppercut from Gaethje in a sequence that turned out to be a prevailing theme of the fight.

“One of the best rounds of 2021,” UFC commentator Jon Anik said as both combatants headed to their corners.

By the time Round 2 got rolling, it became apparent that Gaethje had absorbed the best Chandler had to offer during a precarious opening stanza. “The Highlight” consistently found the mark with right uppercuts and left hooks before putting Chandler on his seat with one of those uppercuts at the 3:25 mark of the period. Though Gaethje was unable to find a finish after the knockdown, when Chandler returned to his feet, his face was a bloody, battered mess. At that point, the former University of Missouri Tiger became a showman, urging Gaethje on as he took more punishment.

Although the tide seemed to be turning, Chandler still had some fight left in him in the final round. The fact that the two warriors made it to that point was something of a stunner in itself.

“I cannot believe that we’re in a third round after the way that first round started,” UFC analyst Daniel Cormier said.

Even with his lead leg severely compromised as a result of steady diet of Gaethje leg kicks, Chandler soldiered onward. He did some of his best work early in Round 3, where he assaulted Gaethje’s body with heavy hooks and slammed the Coloradan to the mat for a powerful takedown. The moment was fleeting, because Gaethje quickly scrambled into top position before the two lightweights returned to their feet. From there, Chandler reverted to taunting Gaethje with his hands held low in hopes of baiting him into a reckless brawl. Instead, Gaethje continued to tag Chandler while maintaining enough poise to avoid any serious danger. By the final bell, Chandler’s battered visage told the story.

When all was said and done, Gaethje received marks of 29-28, 29-28 and 30-27 from the cageside judges and claimed a well-earned victory. In the immediate aftermath, the man appropriately known as “The Highlight” paid tribute to his opponent and the moment they shared in the Octagon. “I knew exactly what that mother----- was. He is a warrior,” Gaethje said. “We are living in the wrong times, let me tell you. Me and him should have been fighting to the death in a f------ coliseum. That’s what should’ve happened.” Instead, both Gaethje and Chandler were immediately transported to a local hospital following their fight. The modern spoils of battle included a $50,000 “Fight of the Night” bonus for each man and a likely future title shot for Gaethje.

“Yup [he’s next],” UFC President Dana White later said on “The Jim Rome Podcast.” “As long as everybody’s healthy and everything’s good, it should be him, coming off one of the greatest fights anybody’s ever seen in their life.”

Meanwhile, Chandler’s post-fight social media statement seemed to hint at some remorse for the tactical choices he made in the heat of the moment.

“We made some questionable decisions in the last one, but we had a blast!” Chandler wrote. “Ill-advised yet entertaining is my strong suit.”

Anyone who had a chance to witness what transpired at Madison Square Garden probably does not share Chandler’s sense of regret.