Footage from the crowd at UFC 268 at New York’s iconic Madison Square Garden has given a perfect view of the hell-for-leather chaos which unfolded between Justin Gaethje and Michael Chandler in their instant classic on Saturday.
Lightweight contenders Gaethje and Chandler threw down for three crowd-pleasing rounds at the fighting mecca.
The bout was hailed as an all-time great showdown, and when the dust had settled it was Gaethje who had his arm raised with a victory on the scorecards, 29-28, 29-28, 30-27.
Video from among the crowd of around 20,000 in attendance captured the atmosphere and the action from a perfect vantage point as the American pair traded heavy shots in the Octagon below.
The clip includes the moment Gaethje seemed close to finishing former Bellator champion Chandler with a brutal right hand in the second round, only for ‘Iron’ to somehow weather the onslaught.
Chandler was left to lick his wounds after his defeat – which was his second in three UFC bouts since making the switch from Bellator.
But the former 155lbs UFC title contender was not disheartened, posing for a smiling picture with Gaethje from hospital after their war.
Chandler already has eyes on his next opponent, calling out former two-weight champion Conor McGregor with a mock-up face-off on Monday.
The Irishman, who is recovering from his brutal broken leg suffered against Dustin Poirier in his last Octagon appearance in July, respectfully responded, seemingly asserting that he would be down for a scrap “at some stage.”
Gaethje, meanwhile, will hope for another title shot and a meeting with the winner of the contest between reigning lightweight king Charles Oliveira and former interim champion Poirier at UFC 269 in December.