Eddie Alvarez explains why Michael Chandler’s UFC tenure has been “frustrating” for him

Eddie Alvarez is frustrated with how Michael Chandler’s UFC tenure has gone.

Alvarez and Chander fought twice in Bellator with both fighters winning a fight. Alvarez went on to become a UFC champ, while Chandler was the Bellator champ, but since joining the UFC, ‘Iron’ has had his struggles.

Michael Chandler is 2-4 and Eddie Alvarez believes ‘Iron’ should be doing much better in the UFC than he has been.

Eddie Alvarez doesn't think Michael Chandler has met his potential in UFC.

"He has all the tools to win the UFC title. … It’s very frustrating for me to watch." pic.twitter.com/1bJMflCQdC

— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) January 2, 2025

“If you ask him, he’s underperformed,” Alvarez said to MMA Junkie. “He’ll know the reason for that or whatever the reasons are, but for sure I think he has all the tools to win the UFC title. It’s a matter of whether he uses the tools he has, and I don’t think he has properly, and I don’t know why. It’s very frustrating for me to watch because I know what he’s capable of, and what kind of grit and champion spirit he has.

“I think it’s more of him tweaking the way he fights and using the weapons that he has,” Alvarez added. “He just doesn’t use them, and it’s frustrating for me to watch, to be honest with you. I think it’s frustrating for a lot of people who are fans of him who want him to win because he can. He just doesn’t use the stuff that God’s given to him. He doesn’t use his wrestling at all, and it’s very dominant. He’s a very strong guy.”

Michael Chandler did compete for the UFC title and nearly KO’d Charles Oliveira. But, he ended up getting finished and has been finished in two of his four UFC losses.

Eddie Alvarez opens to trilogy with Michael Chandler in BKFC

Eddie Alvarez will return to combat sports on January 25 at KnuckleMania 5 against Jeremy Stephens.

It’s a highly-anticipated fight and after this bout, Alvarez says he’d be open to having the trilogy with Michael Chandler in BKFC should ‘Iron’ get cut from the UFC.

“Let’s let him fight again, and if he’s on the same trajectory and he loses again, he can maybe get cut, and then just come over to Bare Knuckle and let’s do it with no gloves,” Alvarez said. “I think that’s the kind of violence this world needs right now.”

Alvarez hasn’t fought in MMA since 2021 and hasn’t competed in combat sports since his TKO loss to Mike Perry in BKFC.