Dana White confirms he’s had discussions with lightweight free agent Michael Chandler

UFC president Dana White has confirmed that he has held talks with popular free agent Michael Chandler.

Fans and media members alike have been speculating over the future of Chandler after it was confirmed he’d be moving into free agency following his last Bellator fight.

Now, after White had initially confirmed he’d be interested in talking with him, the UFC president has made it clear that he is a fan of the lightweight veteran.

“We’ve talked to (Michael) Chandler, yeah. Yeah, I like him, I like the kid so, we’ll see,” Dana White said during his post-fight press conference this past weekend.

Quote courtesy of LowKick MMA

Chandler himself has spoken about the options that are out there for him, confirming that a Bellator return doesn’t really sit right for the 34-year-old.

“Scott Coker had the opportunity to sign me five months ago, six months ago, four months ago before this fight happened, and it didn’t happen,” he said on the MMA Fighting’s What the Heck podcast.

“So there’s not a huge time that we need to sit here and negotiate, Scott. You had the opportunity, you let me go into free agency. You said I’m not 21 years old anymore but I just finished the best lightweight you have on the roster besides me. I don’t really understand why it needs to be any longer than right now. Let me see what I’m worth.

“What will ONE FC offer me? What will PFL, the UFC offer me? Maybe [UFC President] Dana White thinks I suck,” Chandler said. “Maybe [ONE Championship CEO] Chatri [Sityodtong’s] like, ‘Maybe that trilogy with Eddie sounds cool, but we don’t want to pay you that much.’ Maybe that’s the case. I doubt it, but let me go see what I’m worth.”

There are plenty of fascinating fights out there for Chandler regardless of which promotion he decides to sign for, but above all else, many fans are just hoping that he gets the kind of deal he deserves.

The man himself has hinted at a few match-ups that intrigue him, but if the Ultimate Fighting Championship really does want to bring him over to the promotion, they certainly aren’t going to struggle to find fascinating and fun opponents for him in their 155-pound division.

Would you like to see Dana White and the UFC sign former Bellator lightweight champion Michael Chandler? Share your thoughts in the comments section.