Michael Chandler believes Justin Gaethje also received “Dana White privilege”

UFC lightweight contender Michael Chandler believes that his rival Justin Gaethje also received “Dana White privilege” from the UFC president.

Chandler got the vacant title shot against Charles Oliveira back at UFC 262 in May, and Gaethje made it clear that he was not pleased as he believed it should have been him who got the title shot. However, the UFC went ahead and gave Chandler the shot instead, and he lost via TKO. With Gaethje not getting the fight, he sat on the sidelines and as of right now he’s been out of the Octagon for a full year. But this Saturday at UFC 268, he gets the chance to fight Chandler in what should be one of the best fights on the whole card.

Speaking to MMAFighting.com ahead of the fight, Chandler admitted that while he may have got some preferential treatment by getting an immediate title shot, he thinks that Gaethje has, in the words of Tony Ferguson, also received “Dana White privilege.”

“Justin Gaethje got the same amount of preferential treatment. The same amount of Dana White privilege. Whatever you want to call it. He came from outside the UFC, came in, got a top-five guy right away. If he would have beat Eddie Alvarez, he would have gotten a title shot. He lost to Eddie Alvarez, which made him go fight a couple more fights. He’s been in some big commercials. He’s been in big fights. He’s headlined cards. He and I have had very similar roads. I think he deserved it because he earned it. He probably in his heart of hearts believes that I deserved it and earned it but he needs to convince himself that I am seeking attention or I’m an attention seeker and I’m a fake and a phony and whatever things he has said,” Chandler said.

“More than anything, a guy who doesn’t deserve the treatment that I’ve gotten thus far but you’ll find the older you get and the longer you do things, those who ask and those who say yes to opportunities, usually end up making it further than those that don’t or those that fight the powers that be. I’m not here to fight the powers that be. I’m here to fight the guys that they put me up against and Justin Gaethje’s the next one. Whether he loves me, whether he hates me, I know he respects me.”

Who do you think wins this Saturday’s lightweight bout at UFC 268 between Justin Gaethje and Michael Chandler?