Michael Chandler News

Michael Chandler, Benson Henderson, Bellator 243
Benson Henderson

Bellator 243 Results: Michael Chandler KO’s Benson Henderson (Video)

Chris Taylor - August 7, 2020

Former UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson squared off with Michael Chandler for a second time in tonight’s Bellator 243 main event. The pair of lightweight standouts first met at Bellator 165 in November of 2016 with Chandler emerging victorious by way of split decision.

Michael Chandler, Benson Henderson
Michael Chandler

Michael Chandler excited for possible matchups in the UFC against Justin Gaethje and Khabib Nurmagomedov

Adam D Martin - August 7, 2020

Former Bellator lightweight champion Michael Chandler is excited for the possible matchups in the UFC should he sign with the promotion as a free agent. Chandler, one of the greatest home-grown fighters in Bellator history, takes on Benson Henderson on Friday night in the main event of Bellator 243. It’s the last matchup on Chandler’s deal with Bellator, and he has admitted that he will be testing free agency after the bout. Depending on the outcome of the fight, Chandler could potentially be facing interest from the UFC, ONE Championship, and PFL in his foray into free agency.

Michael Chandler, Benson Henderson, Bellator 243
Benson Henderson

Pro fighters make their picks for Michael Chandler vs. Benson Henderson 2

Cole Shelton - August 5, 2020

In the main event of Bellator 243, Michael Chandler and Benson Henderson are having a rematch nearly four years in the making. The first fight took place in 2016 where Chandler won a split decision. Heading into the rematch, Chandler is a -235 favorite while the former UFC champion is a +185 underdog. Ahead of the fight, BJPENN.com reached out to several pro fighters to get their predictions for the scrap. The pros believe the three-time Bellator lightweight champion in Chandler will get his hand raised again.

Michael Chandler, Conor McGregor
Benson Henderson

Michael Chandler vs. Benson Henderson 2 set for Bellator event on August 7

Harry Kettle - July 15, 2020

According to a recent report from Combate, Michael Chandler and Benson Henderson’s proposed rematch is set to go down on August 7. The two veterans last fought back at Bellator 165 in November 2016, and on that night, Chandler beat Henderson via split decision to retain the Bellator Lightweight Championship. They were first scheduled to run it back in December 2019 for Bellator’s co-promotion event with Rizin in Japan, but an injury for Henderson ensured that didn’t happen.

Michael Chandler, Benson Henderson
Michael Chandler

Bellator 244 featuring Michael Chandler vs. Benson Henderson rematch postponed

Adam Martin - April 21, 2020

Bellator 244, which was set to be headlined by a lightweight rematch featuring Michael Chandler and Benson Henderson, has officially been postponed. Bellator 244 was set to take place at WinTrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois on June 6. The card was to be headlined by Chandler vs. Henderson 2, with a co-main event featuring the Bellator featherweight Grand Prix semifinal bout between AJ McKee and Darrion Caldwell. However, due to the coronavirus pandemic, Bellator has decided to postpone the event until further notice.

Michael Chandler, Benson Henderson
Michael Chandler

Michael Chandler to test free agency, targets opponents in UFC and ONE

Adam Martin - March 17, 2020

Former Bellator lightweight champion Michael Chandler will test free agency after his next fight and is targeting opponents in the UFC and ONE Championship. Chandler is one of the best home-grown Bellator fighters of all time and is a three-time lightweight champion in the promotion. He has one more fight left on his contract with the promotion against Benson Henderson and will become a free agent afterward.

Michael Chandler, Brent Primus, Bellator
Brent Primus

Brent Primus hopes trilogy with 'punk a*s' Michael Chandler happens so he can 'knock him out'

Cole Shelton - February 25, 2020

Brent Primus is not a fan of Michael Chandler and hopes their trilogy fight can happen. Primus and Chandler originally met at Bellator NYC in June of 2017 where Primus beat the champ by TKO via leg injury in the first round. The two then had a rematch a year and a half later at Bellator 212 where this time it was Chandler who got his hand raised by decision win the belt back.

Michael Chandler, Conor McGregor
Michael Chandler

Pros react to Michael Page and Michael Chandler KO’s at Bellator Japan

Adam D Martin - December 29, 2019

Check out what the pros had to say following Michael Page and Michael Chandler’s huge knockout wins on the Bellator Japan card. Page knocked out former UFC welterweight Shinsho Anzai in a catchweight bout. Here’s what some of the pros had to say about his performance.

Michael Chandler, Benson Henderson
Benson Henderson

Benson Henderson out, Michael Chandler receives new opponent for Bellator Japan

Natasha Hooper - December 5, 2019

The anticipated rematch between Michael Chandler and Benson Henderson will have to be put on hold as Henderson is out of their scheduled Bellator Japan bout. Henderson has suffered an injury, forcing him to withdraw from the Bellator Japan card.

Michael Chandler vs. Benson Henderson 2
Benson Henderson

Michael Chandler vs. Benson Henderson 2 set for Bellator Japan

Adam Martin - October 29, 2019

A rematch between former Bellator lightweight champion Michael Chandler and former UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson has been added to Bellator Japan. Bellator recently announced the rematch, which will serve as the co-main event on the Bellator Japan card, which takes place on December 29 at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. The fight will be contested at a catchweight of 160lbs.

Michael Chandler
Michael Chandler

Michael Chandler releases deep and poetic statement following title loss

Drake Riggs - May 16, 2019

Historically, there are few if any fighters in Bellator that have achieved more in the promotion than the three-time lightweight champion, Michael Chandler. Perhaps the obvious one who we could say has achieved more and is now the greatest fighter in Bellator history is none other than the man to defeat Chandler this past weekend, the current featherweight champion and now lightweight champion, Patricio ‘Pitbull’ Freire.

Michael Chandler, Benson Henderson
Michael Chandler

Michael Chandler argues for rematch with 'Pitbull' after controversial stoppage

Tom Taylor - May 13, 2019

Over the weekend, in the main event of the finish-filled Bellator 221 card, Michael Chandler attempted to defend the lightweight strap against featherweight champ and arch rival Patricio “Pitbull” Freire. Unfortunately for Chandler, who is one of Bellator’s most visible stars, this fight went quite disastrously. Moments into the first round, he was stung by a Pitbull punch, and seconds later, the fight was being waved off by the referee. Yet Chandler has been adamant that he wasn’t in any real trouble, and that he deserved more time to recover.

Michael Chandler, Patricio Freire 2
Michael Chandler

Report | Patricio Freire to battle Michael Chandler in Bellator champ vs. champ fight

Tom Taylor - February 14, 2019

According to a report from ESPN, Bellator featherweight champion Patricio Freire will move up in weight to challenge lightweight champion Michael Chandler at Bellator 221 on May 11 at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois. The pair’s grudge match will reportedly be officially announced by the promotion in the coming days.

Patricio Pitbull, Canelo Alvarez
Michael Chandler

Patricio Freire vows to kill Michael Chandler under the Bellator MMA banner this April

Chris Taylor - December 15, 2018

Patricio and Patricky Freire were not impressed by the performance of Michael Chandler at last night’s Bellator 212 event in Hawaii. Chandler handed Brent Primus his first career loss in last night’s headliner, thus reclaiming his Bellator lightweight world title.

Michael Chandler, Brent Primus, Bellator
Brent Primus

Bellator 212 Results: Michael Chandler defeats Brent Primus (Highlights)

Chris Taylor - December 14, 2018

The lightweight belt was on the line in tonight’s Bellator 212 main event as reigning division champion Brent Primus squared off with former title holder Michael Chandler. Michael Chandler had previously surrendered his Bellator lightweight world title to Brent Primus in June of 2017, this after suffering a leg injury that resulted in an eventual TKO.

Michael-Chandler
Michael Chandler

VIDEO | Michael Chandler recreates scene from The Purge for epic Bellator 212 promo

Drake Riggs - December 10, 2018

Former two-time Bellator lightweight champion Michael Chandler has undeniably established himself as one of the best fighters outside of the UFC. At Bellator 212, he looks to reclaim the title that he controversially lost.

Michael Chandler, Benson Henderson
Khabib Nurmagomedov

Michael Chandler believes Khabib Nurmagomedov could be a Bellator fighter within two years

Tom Taylor - October 17, 2018

Michael Chandler is one of the best lightweight fighters in the world. For the moment, however, he is not able to test himself against the sport’s consensus best lightweight fighter, UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. That’s because Chandler currently calls Bellator MMA home, whereas Nurmagomedov is tied up with a UFC contract. While Michael Chandler and Khabib Nurmagomedov currently fight for different promotions, Chandler believes it’s possible they’ll find themselves under the same roof in the future. He could wind up in the UFC, or Nurmagomedov could end up in Bellator. In fact, he believes it’s possible the UFC champ could be fighting for Bellator within a year or two.

Michael Chandler, Brent Primus, Bellator
Frank Mir

Bellator honors troops with second event in Hawaii featuring Primus-Chandler rematch, return of Frank Mir

Tom Taylor - October 11, 2018

On December 15, Bellator will touch down in Honolulu, Hawaii with Bellator 211. The card will be headlined by a women’s flyweight title fight between Hawaiian champ Ilima-Lei MacFarlane, and co-headlined by a middleweight scrap between former UFC champ Lyoto Machida and former Bellator champ Rafael Carvalho. Amazingly, this stacked card is not all that Bellator is offering the fans in Hawaii, who have been waiting years for major MMA show. The night before this card, in the very same Honolulu venue, the promotion will honor the military with a card titled ‘Salute the Troops,’ which will be free for members of the US armed forces and their friends and families.