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Matt Brown calls for UFC to cut Chandler after sixth loss leaves career in ruins

Former UFC welterweight Matt Brown has called on Dana White to release or retire Michael Chandler following his lopsided first-round knockout defeat to Mauricio Ruffy at UFC White House, leaving Chandler with a 2-6 record in the promotion.

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Matt Brown calls for UFC to cut Chandler after sixth loss leaves career in ruins
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Michael Chandler’s UFC tenure has drawn sharp public criticism from a fellow veteran after the lightweight went 2-6 in the promotion, most recently suffering a lopsided first-round knockout loss to Mauricio Ruffy at UFC White House.

Former welterweight Matt Brown, who holds the second-most KO/TKO wins in UFC history, did not hold back in his assessment of Chandler’s standing in the organisation. Brown argued that Chandler’s profile has never been justified by his results and urged Dana White to act decisively.

“With Michael Chandler, just his whole UFC run hasn’t been anything to note… He shouldn’t be the star that he is in the UFC,” Brown told MMAFighting.com. “How are you 2-6 and you’re as big of a star as him… I would not be excited to see him fight again. If I’m Dana White, I either cut him or tell him, ‘Look, you need to retire, bro.’”

Brown did leave a door open for Chandler to continue competing, but not at the highest level. “If he wanted to keep fighting, I think he would probably fit into other organizations. I would like to see him in bare-knuckle, Gamebred MMA stuff. I think there’s fun things for him to do. He is clearly not a UFC-level guy.”

Chandler, now 23-11 overall, arrived in the UFC with considerable fanfare, announcing himself with a vicious first-round knockout of Dan Hooker on his debut in January 2021. Since that night, however, “Iron” has beaten only Tony Ferguson across seven outings, with the majority of his defeats coming in one-sided fashion.

A notable detail underscoring Chandler’s unusual standing in the promotion: despite his losing record, he has never been relegated to a UFC Fight Night card, appearing exclusively on numbered events throughout his time with the organisation.

Brown himself retired in 2024 following a first-round knockout win over Court McGee in 2023, his final UFC appearance. He finished his career with the fifth-most finishes in UFC history, lending weight to his perspective on what sustained UFC-level performance looks like.

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