UFC lightweight Michael Chandler will return to the octagon after 2 years of radio silence to take on Brazil’s Charles Oliveira for the #1 contender spot. Having waited 22 months of Conor McGrgeor and his antics, Chandler is happy to fight for legacy and not money and has now laughed off critics who had claimed he was done!
The former Bellator champion was unapologetically trolled and pushed around after the news about the McGregor fight spread around town. Many deemed that Conor & the UFC punked Chandler, but as we near the end of September, UFC President/ CEO Dana White confirmed huge news and this has got Chandler pumped.
The fighter dropped a new clip of him reacting to Dana’s announcement with a massive smile across his face!
#ufc309 pic.twitter.com/XoBhghRsgj
— Michael Chandler (@MikeChandlerMMA) September 24, 2024
Now, Oliveira and Chandler have clashed heads previously when ‘Iron’ Michael took on the Brazilian in 2021 only to suffer a TKO loss in the second round. At the time Chandler was being criticized for a lack 0f awareness needed to win fights. He had lost to Poirier the same way. He would start a fight really strong, then overdo the aggression and get caught in unwanted sports.
Hopefully, he can turn that reputation around when Da Bronx comes along.
And since he’s moved on from McGregor, the American seems to be pouring his heart out at how unreliable the Irishman really is.
Chandler goes ballistic on Conor
Michael Chandler had waited, waited and waited for the UFC to come through with the Conor fight, and in the end, ‘The Notorious’ simply pulled out, citing a torn toe.
Even then there was some hope but McGregor was seen being flaky at way to many parties, which if one is Chandler, doesn’t inspire a whole lot of confidence. Besides, McGregor’s contract situation with the UFC and Dana White is not something anybody should find themselves in the middle of.
So, with McGregor in the limbo, Chandler decided to not waste another second. Making full use of the exposure he got from the Conor stint, Chandler explained why he was fighting Oliveira. Taking shots at the Irishman, Chandler said,
“The simple fact of the matter is, you are the most unreliable human being that has ever graced mixed martial arts.”
He then went on to explain why it was Oliveira that he was interested in.
“So, what am I going to do? I’m going to fight Charles Oliveira. Why am I going to fight Charles Oliveira? Number one, it’s a badass fight. Number two, it’s a rematch. It’s a redemption story for me. The dude who already stole from me – rightfully so, in a fair fight – he stole my dreams, shattered my dreams of becoming UFC champion.”
View this post on Instagram
There you go. The fact of the matter is that when Chandler left Bellator for the UFC, he was already a veteran of the sport, and a grizzled one, nonetheless. Before all this Conor McGregor hoopla, the only reason for signing with the UFC was to get that gold and cement your legacy. And while, Chandler has taken the scenic route, at least he’s on the right path.
