“See you at the top!”
Michael Chandler needed only two minutes in the UFC 257 co-main event to start teeing off against Dan Hooker. The fight was over soon after.
Chandler, a three-time Bellator champion, entered the UFC last year after becoming a free agent. He was immediately thrown into the upper echelons when Hooker, ranked 6th in the lightweight division, accepted a bout against him.
Hooker had earned his stripes at 155lbs, over the past few years, and he held a distinct height and reach advantage over the American. The rangy Auckland native used that advantage in the opening minutes to keep Chandler out of the pocket. However, Chandler’s crouching approaches would eventually get him inside and the fun was about to begin.
Chandler threw a feint then connected with a body punch that dropped Hooker’s guard before a devastating connection landed flush on Hooker’s jaw. ‘The Hangman’ crumpled against the fence, but he was not knocked out.
The Kiwi attempted to grapple, but Chandler was not having it and uncorked about 10 free punches before ref Marc Goddard stepped in. Following his first round win, Chandler evoked the famous Wrestlemania speech made by WWE star Ric Flair when he declared this was the greatest moment of his career.
“I’ve got to get something off my chest!
“I tell y’all this – 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, if you ever do see fit to grace us with your presence back in the UFC Octagon, in your quest for 30-0, you’ve got to beat somebody, so beat me if you can. God bless. See you at the top!”
For the record, Flair once declared, “I’m going to tell you all. With a tear in my eye, this is the greatest moment in my life. When you walk around this world, and you tell everybody that you’re number one, the only way that you get to stay number one is to be number one.”
WWWOOOOO!
