Michael Chandler News

Tom Taylor - February 22, 2021

The UFC is under fire for running a Black History Month special starring lightweight contender Michael Chandler. February is recognized as Black History Month in the United States and several other countries. The UFC has already promoted three events in February, with one more on the calendar before the month concludes.

Tom Taylor - February 8, 2021

Michael Chandler has been chomping at the bit for a fight with top UFC lightweight contender Dustin Poirier, but that didn’t stop him from giving an honest review of Poirier’s hot sauce. Chandler and Poirier both picked up big wins at UFC 257 last month, knocking out Dan Hooker and Conor McGregor respectively. Since then, Chandler has been angling for a fight with Poirier, but Poirier has expressed disinterest in the matchup.

Chris Taylor - February 6, 2021

Eddie Alvarez tuned in to watch his former rival Michael Chandler make his Octagon debut against Dan Hooker at UFC 257. Alvarez and Chandler have a storied history having competed for the Bellator lightweight world title on two occasions. Their first encounter occurred at Bellator 58 in November of 2011 where Chandler dethroned Alvarez with a fourth round submission.

Christopher Taylor - February 4, 2021

Michael Chandler thinks it is “a little bit weird” that Dustin Poirier isn’t interested in fighting for the UFC lightweight championship next. Chandler and Poirier both earned sensational stoppage victories at last months UFC 257 pay-per-view event in Abu Dhabi.

Drake Riggs - February 1, 2021

Michael Chandler will be aiding his fellow former Bellator champion Ben Askren in preparation for his Jake Paul boxing match — and the new UFC lightweight title contender is confident in how the contest will play out. “I’m telling you, Ben Askren’s gonna beat Jake Paul,” Chandler told ESPN. “Listen, you can say Ben Askren’s boxing isn’t that good, and it’s not, I will agree with you on that. But when it comes to dirty boxing, under hooks, pushing, pulling, grabbing heads. I mean, you’re gonna be in there for eight rounds straight, 16-24 minutes plus a minute in between, Jake Paul will get worn down, Ben Askren won’t. Depending on the ruleset, depending on the referee, depending on how quickly they’re going to break ’em up, Ben is gonna wear on ’em, close the distance, then it’s gonna be really hard to punch Ben Askren when he’s up in your face, pulling on you, punching you to the body, punching you to the head. Albeit, they may be pitter-patter… Ben Askren knocks out Jake Paul, seventh round.”

Adam Martin - February 1, 2021

MMA manager Ali Abdelaziz confirmed that Justin Gaethje is interested in fighting Michael Chandler for his next fight inside the Octagon. With UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov set to retire any day now and vacate his belt in the process, the race for the next lightweight title fight has become fierce. Dustin Poirier seems to be the heir to the throne following his knockout win over Conor McGregor, but he said this week that right now he is willing to sit back and wait for the right opportunity. That means fighters like Gaethje, Chandler, and Charles Oliveira are all in the mix for the next vacant lightweight title fight.

Cole Shelton - February 1, 2021

Michael Chandler is hoping to prove he’s the most violent fighter in the UFC and to do that he knows he needs to face Justin Gaethje. When Gaethje and Alvarez fought at UFC 218, many fans said the fight would determine who is the most violent fighter in the UFC. Alvarez ended up winning the fight by TKO, but after he left the promotion, and Gaethje went on a KO streak and many considered him the most violent man in the Las Vegas-based promotion.

Tom Taylor - February 1, 2021

Charles Oliveira has reportedly turned down a short-notice offer to meet Michael Chandler in a non-title fight on the upcoming UFC 258 card. UFC 258 is scheduled for February 13 in Las Vegas. According to a report from AG Fight, the UFC attempted to schedule a last-minute lightweight contender fight between Oliveira and Chandler for the rapidly approaching card, but Oliveira declined because there would be no title up for grabs.

Adam Martin - January 31, 2021

UFC lightweight contender Dustin Poirier suggested that Charles Oliveira and Michael Chandler fight each other for the vacant title. The race for the UFC lightweight title is high in the wake of Poirier’s knockout win over Conor McGregor at UFC 257. With UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov almost assuredly set to retire in the coming weeks and vacate the belt, Poirier — the self-named “uncrowned world champion” —  is fully expected to be one half of whatever the next lightweight title fight is. His opponent, however, is still up in the air, with McGregor, Chandler, Oliveira, and Nate Diaz all realistic options.

Chris Taylor - January 30, 2021

Dan Hooker has made his first social media appearance since suffering a brutal knockout loss to Michael Chandler at UFC 257. Hooker (20-10 MMA) squared off with the former Bellator champion in the co-headliner of last weekend’s pay-per-view with hopes of spoiling Chandler’s Octagon debut.

Tom Taylor - January 29, 2021

Michael Chandler got a personal Zoom call from pro wrestling legend Ric Flair after making his Octagon debut at UFC 257. Chandler couldn’t have looked better in his first UFC bout, knocking out Dan Hooker in the first-round to usurp the No. 4 spot in the promotion’s lightweight rankings.

Cole Shelton - January 27, 2021

Michael Chandler knows Jake Paul picked Ben Askren for a reason, but he believes people can’t overlook “Funky” in their fight. On April 17, Paul is set for his third professional boxing match against Askren in what should be a very intriguing bout. This will be the first time Paul fights a legit fighter, as his other two wins are over a YouTuber and an ex-NBA player.

Adam Martin - January 26, 2021

Patricio Pitbull says that the success of Michael Chandler and Eddie Alvarez in the UFC is showing the “power of Bellator.” Chandler had an amazing UFC debut last weekend at UFC 257 when he brutally knocked out the typically-durable Dan Hooker with punches in the first round. Heading into the UFC, there were many question marks about the former three-time Bellator lightweight champion, but Chandler’s win over Hooker showed that he is an elite fighter. And if you think Chandler is good, just remember Pitbull knocked him out in June 2019. Both men are proof Bellator is home to some of the sport’s elite.

Harry Kettle - January 26, 2021

Dan Hooker’s head coach Eugene Bareman has given his thoughts on Hooker’s devastating loss to Michael Chandler at UFC 257. Hooker was unable to get back on the winning trail against Chandler on Saturday night as he suffered a first round TKO that massively sets him back in his quest to win the UFC Lightweight Championship.

Adam Martin - January 25, 2021

UFC lightweight Michael Chandler sent a message to Dustin Poirier, predicting that he will “finish him within the first two rounds.” Chandler knocked out Dan Hooker in brutal fashion in the co-main event of UFC 257. When it comes to making an impression in your UFC debut, it can’t get any better than what Chandler did. It sure looked like Chandler was going to be the star of the night, but Poirier went and outdid him with a crazy KO over Conor McGregor in the main event. Chandler and Poirier were both rewarded with $50,000 bonuses for their victories, and it’s possible both men will next fight each other for the vacant title.

Cole Shelton - January 25, 2021

In the main event of UFC 257, Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor had their rematch six years in the making. The co-main event saw Dan Hooker welcome Michael Chandler to the UFC in a very intriguing lightweight bout. In the end, Poirier exacted his revenge as he knocked out McGregor in the second round. The co-main event, meanwhile, saw Chandler TKO Dan Hooker in the first round to cement his case as a top contender.

Harry Kettle - January 25, 2021

UFC lightweight contender Michael Chandler has revealed the origins behind his Ric Flair-inspired promo after his UFC 257 win. Chandler announced his entry into the Ultimate Fighting Championship with an emphatic TKO victory over Dan Hooker this past weekend, firmly establishing himself as one of the rising stars at 155 pounds.

Adam Martin - January 24, 2021

UFC president Dana White scolded lightweight Michael Chandler for his celebratory backflip, saying “somebody’s going to get f*cking hurt.” Following his KO win over Dan Hooker in the co-main event of UFC 257, newly-minted UFC lightweight contender Chandler did a backflip off the top of the Octagon fence, and it appeared he had hurt his ankles on the way down. Thankfully he’s fine, but it could have been potentially been really bad had he landed the wrong way, and it had White worried. Chandler is certainly not the first fighter to do a backflip to celebrate — Justin Gaethje also does it on the regular — but every time a fighter does a backflip, it leaves White wincing.