Michael Chandler News

Adam D Martin - October 1, 2021

Top contender Michael Chandler shared his prediction for the upcoming UFC lightweight title bout between Charles Oliveira and Dustin Poirier. Chandler knows a thing-or-two about Oliveira, considering he just fought him for the vacant lightweight belt back at UFC 262 in May. Although Chandler ended up losing via second-round TKO, he was doing well in the first round of the fight and showed that he’s one of the sport’s best lightweights despite the defeat. For his next fight, Chandler will step into the Octagon next month when he faces off with fellow top contender Justin Gaethje. The winner of Chandler vs. Gaethje could very well be in line for a title shot at 155lbs.

Adam D Martin - September 16, 2021

UFC lightweight title contender Michael Chandler explained why he hasn’t gotten himself vaccinated against COVID-19 yet. Chandler is set to take on rival Justin Gaethje at UFC 268 in November at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. When the fight was first announced, one of the potential issues in booking the fight was that Chandler is not yet vaccinated. At first, it was expected that athletes competing on the New York card would have to show proof of being vaccinated. However, that won’t be the case as the fighters won’t have to be vaccinated.

Drake Riggs - September 14, 2021

The highly anticipated matchup between Justin Gaethje and Michael Chandler is set to go down… but it wasn’t without a brief scare. With UFC 268 on Nov. 6 taking place in New York City’s Madison Square Garden, there was reason to worry about the event happening at all due to potential COVID-19 vaccine mandates. Therefore leading Chandler to voice his opinion by sharing that he didn’t intend on getting the vaccine until it was “100 percent FDA approved.”

Adam D Martin - September 14, 2021

UFC lightweight title contender Michael Chandler says he’s “ready for violence” against divisional rival Justin Gaethje at UFC 268. Chandler meets Gaethje on November 6 at UFC 268 in what should be an absolute war between two of the best lightweights on the UFC roster. With Chandler coming off of a stoppage loss to Charles Oliveira at UFC 262 and with Gaethje coming off of a finish defeat to Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 254, both fighters need to get back into the win column.

Harry Kettle - August 26, 2021

Michael Chandler has given a quick overview of who he believes to be amongst the elite of the elite in the lightweight division. Chandler has had a fascinating start to his UFC career dating all the way back to when he played the role of alternate for the Khabib Nurmagomedov vs Justin Gaethje fight. Since then he’s gone on to finish Dan Hooker before almost doing the same to Charles Oliveira, only to ultimately lose via strikes early in the second round.

Harry Kettle - August 10, 2021

Michael Chandler has said if he was Dustin Poirier, he’d wait for a fourth fight against Conor McGregor as opposed to a UFC lightweight title fight against Charles Oliveira. Dustin Poirier is riding high right now after beating McGregor for the second time last month. The win firmly cements him as one of the best lightweights on the planet and, as such, takes “The Diamond” into the number one spot when it comes to pursuing a title shot.

Cole Shelton - August 6, 2021

Justin Gaethje doesn’t think UFC 268 will take place at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The pay-per-view card is scheduled for November 6 and is tentatively scheduled for MSG. However, New York has implemented a required proof of vaccination for indoor dining, fitness, and entertainment events. A UFC event would fall into the latter category, so Gaethje believes that will force the promotion out of MSG.

Cole Shelton - August 6, 2021

Justin Gaethje says he’s eager to fight Michael Chandler as he doesn’t like the former Bellator lightweight champion. Gaethje and Chandler are scheduled to face one another on November 6 at UFC 268. It’s a highly-anticipated fight at lightweight where the winner could earn a title shot. For Gaethje, however, he says he’s ecstatic for the fight as it’s been a while since he fought someone he doesn’t like.

Chris Taylor - July 31, 2021

Michael Chandler is excited to erase the pain of failure when he squares off with Justin Gaethje at UFC 268 on November 4 in New York City. After earning a first round knockout over Dan Hooker in his Octagon debut, Chandler (22-6 MMA) was booked to fight Charles Oliveira for the promotions vacant lightweight title at UFC 262.

Cole Shelton - July 30, 2021

Justin Gaethje and Michael Chandler will finally meet inside the Octagon. Ever since Chandler signed to the UFC, he has been linked to a fight with Gaethje. After both men lost their fights for the belt, the scrap made all the more sense. However, the former Bellator champ claimed Gaethje was turning him down. Now, according to ESPN’s Brett Okamoto, Gaethje and Chandler have agreed to fight one another on November 6 at UFC 268. The event will likely take place at Madison Square Garden.

Adam D Martin - July 25, 2021

UFC lightweight contender Michael Chandler responded to the recent slander claims made by his 155lbs division rival Justin Gaethje. Gaethje recently took to his social media to throw shade at Chandler and say that he isn’t the one turning down the fight against each other. Now, Chandler has responded to him.

Cole Shelton - July 21, 2021

Justin Gaethje has responded to Michael Chandler’s recent comments. On Tuesday, Chandler spoke on an Instagram Live where he made it clear that he wanted to fight Gaethje next. He said one of them would add the other to their highlight reel, but the former Bellator champ claimed “The Highlight” had turned him down a couple of times already.

Adam D Martin - July 18, 2021

UFC lightweight contender Islam Makhachev called out Michael Chandler, saying that “you come from Bellator, I want to check your skills.” Makhachev defeated Thiago Moises in the main event of UFC Vegas 31 via fourth-round submission, and it was the type of statement win that should earn the No. 9 ranked lightweight in the UFC a step up in competition. Following his win over Moises, Makhachev took the mic and called out Rafael dos Anjos, the former UFC lightweight champion. But in his post-event interview with reporter Heidi Androl, Makhachev used it as an opportunity to call out Chandler, the former Bellator lightweight champion turned UFC fighter and analyst.

Harry Kettle - June 2, 2021

Former UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov has said he’s happy to see Charles Oliveira hold the gold at 155 pounds. After retiring from mixed martial arts last year, Khabib left the door open for one of many top lightweights to rise up and claim the belt. Last month, Charles Oliveira answered the call with a phenomenal comeback win over Michael Chandler in Houston.

Adam D Martin - May 27, 2021

UFC lightweight contender Michael Chandler welcomes a fan-friendly fight with Justin Gaethje, promising a highlight-reel finish either way. Chandler recently lost in his bid to become the new UFC lightweight champion when he was finished by Charles Oliveira in the main event of UFC 262. Though Chandler was stopped in the second round of the fight, it was an incredible match for as long as it lasted, and Chandler had a ton of success in the first round, nearly finishing Oliveira. So despite the fact he was stopped in the fight, his stock overall didn’t drop that much in the division.

Drake Riggs - May 24, 2021

Eddie Alvarez has gone to war on numerous occasions throughout his legendary career. It now looks like two of his most notable opponents could square off next. Both of Alvarez’s encounters with fellow former Bellator lightweight king Michael Chandler were instant classics. The same can be said for his UFC 218 bout against Justin Gaethje. Now that both have suffered losses in their most recent title opportunities, UFC President Dana White seemingly still likes the idea of matching the two together.

Cole Shelton - May 20, 2021

The pay-per-view buy rate for UFC 262 is reportedly in. According to John Ourand of the Sports Business Journal, UFC 262 sold 300,000 PPV buys on ESPN+ in the United States. That number does not include international buys, as it is domestic buys only.

Adam D Martin - May 18, 2021

Michael Chandler issued a video statement following his TKO loss to Charles Oliveira at UFC 262, saying that “The best is still yet to come.” Chandler, the former three-time Bellator lightweight champion, took on Oliveira in the main event at this past Saturday’s UFC 262 pay-per-view event. After a strong start in the first round, which even saw him earn two 10-8 scorecards from the judges, Chandler started to tire and was knocked out by Oliveira early in the second round. It was Chandler’s first loss in the UFC after beating Dan Hooker in his promotional debut earlier this year, and this one hurt because he lost his chance to be the UFC champion, which is his dream. However, Chandler remains positive and promises his fans that he will still hold the gold one day.