Tom Aspinall criticized Michael Chandler‘s fight IQ, suggesting his all-out style is inefficient, and noted Chandler’s recent struggles, including a loss to Paddy Pimblett, while Chandler responded by taking a jab at Aspinall’s wait for a fight with Jon Jones.
Tom Aspinall’s got some advice for Michael Chandler.
Chandler, once a three-time Bellator champ and former UFC lightweight title challenger, is in a rough patch. Just one win in his last six fights. Ouch. His latest loss? Paddy Pimblett at UFC 314, taken down in the third round.
Aspinall shared a workout video with Pimblett on YouTube, offering his thoughts on Chandler’s struggles.
“It’s bad fight IQ,” Aspinall noted. “He’s fit, sure, but sprinting for five minutes? No one’s fit for that.” He pointed out Chandler’s tendency to go all-out, swinging wildly.
Surprising, right? Especially for someone with so many fights under his belt.
Despite Chandler’s losing streak, he’s snagged five post-fight bonuses in seven UFC appearances. Fans love his style, but Aspinall thinks he could be more efficient—less showy slams, fewer wild haymakers.
Aspinall remembered watching Chandler’s loss to Charles Oliveira and thought Pimblett could take him.
“I watched and thought, ‘No way Paddy loses to this guy,'” Aspinall said. “People online said it was a tough fight for Paddy. I thought, ‘Easy.’ And it was.”
Chandler noticed Aspinall’s comments and clapped back on Threads, mentioning Aspinall’s wait for a Jon Jones fight.
“Didn’t that big goober say this, like, three years ago?” Chandler wrote. “He waited for Jon as long as I did for Conor [McGregor]. Cool.”
As for Aspinall, he’s gearing up to defend his heavyweight title against Ciryl Gane at UFC 321 on Oct. 25 in Abu Dhabi.