For more than a decade, Michael Chandler was as one of the best and most consistently entertaining mixed martial artists competing outside of the UFC — an all-action dynamo chiseled from marble with a mega-watt smile that stood as one of the foundational pillars of the Bellator organization. Throughout that time, observers wondered how the former University of Missouri wrestler would fit in the talent-rich UFC lightweight division, and at the close of 2020, it became time for everyone to learn the answer to that question.
“I spent so many years outside of the UFC and truly wanting to be in the UFC really, really bad, (but) at other times thinking, ‘Maybe that’s not for me. Maybe the door will never open,’” Chandler said. “It needed to be abundantly clear that I was going to come over to the UFC at the right time, and at the end of 2020, it just felt like the right time. Since then, the UFC has been good on their word, and I’ve been good on my word.
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“When I sat with (UFC Chief Business Officer) Hunter Campbell the first time, I said, ‘Hunter, I wanna be good for your organization. I wanna fight the toughest guys right away. Throw me into the shark-infested waters. Either I am who I say I am or I’m not. I’m not here for a long time, I’m here for a good time,’ and we wanted to kick it off hard with Dan Hooker, the No. 5 guy in the world, to find out if I could sink or swim.”
Arriving in the midst of the pandemic era in the UFC, Chandler and Hooker faced off in the co-main event of UFC 257 in Abu Dhabi. After nearly two minutes of stalking his prey, Chandler finally started to open up a little. He pressed forward, and as Hooker exited to his right, a left hand came found the chin and sent the New Zealander crashing to the canvas. Rapid-fire shots followed, and Marc Goddard stepped in. Chandler, after in just half-a-round, showed he belonged and kicked off an electric run inside the Octagon.
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“With that — the promo, the backflip, all the things — and then after that, a lot of great opportunities,” Chandler said. “Fight of the Night after Fight of the Night. Fight of the Year after Fight of the Year. Debut of the Year. Knockout of the Year. I’ve came through with my end of the bargain. I put butts in seats, I put people on the edge of their seats, I make’em feel something, and the UFC has given me an amazing platform to showcase my skills and it’s a great symbiotic relationship.”
Ahead of this weekend’s battle with Mauricio Ruffy on the White House lawn at UFC Freedom 250, it’s clear the Chandler is feeling a little something too.
Always engaging and a proud American through-and-through, there is an even greater reverence for the moment, for the opportunity, and for everyone that has contributed to his being in this position from Chandler. While the chance to take part in a once-in-a-lifetime event like this certainly stirs up a different set of emotions, the 40-year-old Chandler feels and sounds a little different—more akin to someone at the tail end of their career taking stock of everything and perhaps even viewing Sunday’s event as a fitting way to close things out.
“This is the biggest platform we could have asked for as mixed martial artists: on the White House (lawn), on America’s 250th birthday,” offered Chandler. “It’s a love letter to this country. It’s a love letter to the fans. It’s a love letter to mixed martial arts in general, and I’m extremely blessed to be a part of it.
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“I’m gonna get my hand raised on Sunday night. This will be the most memorable fight of my entire career — the greatest exclamation mark I could ever have asked for. To be able to put a stamp on this long, illustrious career that I’ve had, this long run that I’ve had in the UFC, I think Mauricio Ruffy is the perfect opponent to do that against and I think the White House is the perfect platform to showcase it.”
Not that he’s taking the talented Brazilian lightly.
Positioned four spots ahead of him in the lightweight rankings and coming off a bonus-winning effort earlier this year against Rafael Fiziev, Ruffy is considered by many to be one of the rising stars of the division.
Chandler recognizes Ruffy’s talent, particularly on the feet where he is most creative and dangerous, but he also sees areas where he believes he’ll be able to have success where others have faltered.
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“I’ve got a ton of respect for Ruffy; what he’s done so far — he’s got a couple highlight reel knockouts, a couple great wins, but he’s also shown cracks in his game, cracks in his abilities,” Chandler said. “With that being said, I’m expecting the toughest Mauricio Ruffy we’ve ever seen. Coming off a win is a great thing for him. I believe Fiziev made some mistakes that I’m not gonna make… I believe I’m the better man, I’m the better fighter, I’m the better athlete, the more seasoned veteran. I believe I’m just all-around tougher, and I’m excited to prove that on (Sunday) night.
“Mauricio Ruffy feels comfortable off his back foot, he likes to throw counter shots. I feel comfortable everywhere. I think I’m the more well-rounded fighter. I truly believe I’ve got better cardio, better power, better wrestling abilities, better striking abilities, better grappling abilities. That being said, I’m not taking him lightly and I do think I’ve got the recipe, we’ve put together a game plan to solve this puzzle on Sunday night… I’ve got great coaches that I’ve brought in. I’ve got a great mainstay of training partners that I’ve had for years. It’s gonna be a masterclass on Sunday night.”
How things ultimately play out will be determined once the top-15 standouts line up opposite one another inside the Octagon this weekend, but one thing that is guaranteed — and has been from the time he arrived on the UFC stage and long before that — is that this will be an exciting, riveting contest because that is the only way Michael Chandler knows how to do things.
“I’ve got a brand that is violent, that is chaos at times, that is fast, in your face, on the edge of your seat, put your heart rate through the roof type of performances. That’s what I do,” he said with a smile. “I was put on this Earth for hand-to-hand combat, and I was put on this Earth to entertain fans.
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“I don’t have the ability to even look in the direction of a brake pedal. My foot is always on the gas, I’m gonna be in somebody’s face.”
UFC Freedom 250 presented by Crypto.com and Ram took place live from the White House in Washington, D.C. on Sunday, June 14. See the Official Results, Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!
