A long layoff can have detrimental results, especially when it comes to cage fighting. And Micheal Chandler can tell you a thing or two about that. After nearly 18 months of inactivity, Chandler is finally slated to return at UFC 309 after refusing to wait for Conor McGregor. Taking on Charles Oliveira, ‘Iron’ seems to be pulling all the stops as he recently shared a snap of his impressive physique ahead of his lightweight clash, garnering some divisive reactions from fans on social media.

The former Bellator champion is certainly pumping some ‘Iron’ in the gym as he’s trying to make sure that the victory is his for the taking on November 16. Chandler shared a few snaps from his training regimen and one of the videos showed him taking a little break from his sessions. He sported a singlet, which is common attire for amateur and professional wrestlers, as he sipped some water and grooved to some music.

He looks ready for the fight after staying on the sidelines for far longer than he had planned. But has he prepared enough for a former champion like Charles Oliveira? Well, that remains to be seen.

If we look at the fighters with some of the best physiques in the UFC right now, Michael Chandler certainly fits the description. However, fans seem to be confused as to how this body transformation would help him, doubting his chances of beating ‘Do Bronx’. Let’s see what the UFC fandom has to say.

Fans skeptical about Michael Chandler beating Charles Oliveira

The vocal UFC community seems to have gotten straight to the point with Michael Chandler’s body transformation. Most of them don’t even see a scenario of how his new physique could even help him beat Charles Oliveira. A couple of those fans commented, “MMA isn’t a bodybuilding contest. Charles in 2,” and, “All that matters is his jaw and brain lol,”. There have been many instances when ripped physique fighters have bitten dust against opponents with a less muscular physique. It seems like fans are worried about Chandler meeting with the same fate. “I’m so anxious for u brother,” another fan commented on Instagram.

Moving over to the other fans, one of them didn’t find anything special about Chandler’s ripped physique, as he commented, “He looks tiny.” This comment understandably stems from the fact that ‘Iron’ is a rather big guy when he’s not training for a fight, but getting this ripped and shredded is important for him to get to the 155lbs frame for his UFC fight. But guess what? There were still some backs who backed and raised Chandler for all his efforts.

Firstly, one of his supporters stated, “I hope his IQ is also sharp,” citing the importance of having great cage awareness and fighting intelligence inside the Octagon over a great physique. But he did get commended for always staying in shape and even making it better and more appealing. Another couple of fans commented, “Dude works hard for real,” and, “Not a fan ……but got to give it to him……looking crazy cut……hard work big time…..wow,” congratulating the lightweight star for putting in the work in the gym.

With less than two weeks to go for the Madison Square Garden PPV, the anticipation among fans to see how Michael Chandler performs against Charles Oliveira is more than ever. Do you think he’s getting past the former champion? Drop your comments below.