UFC 268: Justin Gaethje, Michael Chandler, lightweight clash not happening before the co-main event

UFC 268: Justin Gaethje, Michael Chandler, lightweight clash not happening before the co-main event

Michael Chandler- Justin Gaethje

UFC Lightweights Justin Gaethje and Michael Chandler are not going to be fighting before the co-main event at UFC 268. The news was first reported by Ariel Helwani. UFC 268 takes place at Madison Square Garden, New York, the USA this Saturday night. The event is headlined by a welterweight title rematch between the champion Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington and the co-main event comprises another title rematch between women’s strawweight, the champion Rose Namamjunas and Weili Zhang.

The lightweight clash between Gaethje and Chandler was originally supposed to happen before the co-main event. This fight was considered by both the fighters a chance to earn another title shot after losing their respective title matches the first time. Now since the fight is not happening before the co-main, the place will be occupied by a bantamweight bout between Frankie Edgar and Marlon Vera.

So when we will see Justin Gaethje vs Michael Chandler?

Michael Chandler and Justin Gaethje
Michael Chandler and Justin Gaethje

The fight between Chandler and Gaethje has now been replaced to open the main card of UFC 268, after the closing of prelims by Alex Pereira and Andreas Michailidis middleweight clash. Ariel Helwani first put it out on Instagram about the news confirming from multiple sources. Here he retweeted the news put out by MMA Fighting.

FS Video

The re-positioning of the fight might happen in taking consideration of coach Trevor Wittman’s schedule since earlier he was cornering 3 back to back fights considering his trainees were Kamaru Usman, Rose Namajunas and Gaethje. Now, Wittman will have some time after Gaethje’s fight is over so that he can focus on his students next whose places in the main card couldn’t be compromised since they are part of the title fights.

This was done to ease a coach’s schedule in the fight card. What do you think about this, will it cease the excitement to wait for the title fights? Or are you looking at this holistically confident about all the fights going amazing down the main card?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qibcgWqwJkA

Also Read: Justin Gaethje sheds light on his issue with Daniel Cormier’s commentary at UFC 267, calls it “Incredibly Biased”