UFC’s breakout sensation, ‘Iron’ Michael Chandler might be a force to be reckoned with in the octagon but there’s a lesser-known side of the fighter that simply loves and adores his wife, Brie Willet and their two beautiful children. The lightweight wrecking ball recently sat down with Gary Brecka, revealing the story behind adopting the boys.
In the latest episode of the Ultimate Human Podcast, Gary and Chandler discussed a lot of topics and one among them was about his personal life, how the fighter and his wife decided to adopt their children.
Chandler revealed an instance when the couple were in San Diego, laid back watching the sky in a dog park when his then-girlfriend revealed her desire to become a mother by adoption.
“It caught me off-guard a little bit because I had never really thought about it and quite frankly I was like, ‘Whoa, I’ve never really thought about this but I’ll do anything to marry you like I’m completely on board with that.”
Furthermore, he revealed that Brie ever since she was a teenager had it on her heart to adopt, serving intercity missions in Columbia, Missouri, and even spending time in Jamaica for the same.
While the fighter’s decision might be appalling for some of his conservative fanbase, the MMA community at large welcomed his action with open arms including Tristan Tate who lauded Chandler for his generous act.
Chandler on raising ‘black’ children
The couple after dating for 11 months and being engaged for five months, finally made it official when they tied the knot in 2014 and welcomed their first adoptive son Hap in 2017 before the couple opened their hearts to their second son, Ace in 2022.
While the fighter and his wife did so with good intentions, some critics and activists feel that it was unethical for Chandler & Brie to adopt black children, citing that it’d lead to the children being forced to break from their cultural identities, which is a fair point.
Black people in America have a rather tragic history, the aftermath of which they continue to suffer to this day, there is no denying that.
Many people of color had commented about no much as one would like to claim the color of one’s skin doesn’t matter, it does since our civilization is not utopian in nature and it’s important for marginalized groups to understand their culture so as to survive.
View this post on Instagram
Chandler, at one point had even addressed this himself.
“I’m not raising black children, I’m raising children… Whether you are Black or you are white, no matter what race that you are, there are certain things about being a man and being a good man when it comes to character and integrity and safeguarding the helpless and sticking up for those who need it.
This had caused further controversy since being blind to color doesn’t actually solve discrimination. But that’s not what Chandler had meant when this statement had been published.
So the former Bellator champion had to clarify this stance in another interview with Ryan Clark, where he told fans that he did plan on having discussions about race relations with his children, but since they were 2 and 7 years old at the time…
“Obviously, part of it, too, is if I would have done that interview and my sons were 14 and 11, it’s a little bit different… I’ve got a 2-year-old, and I’ve got a 7-year-old. So maybe that question being answered to me five years from now or … you know, my son Hap now is 7, so, we’re getting toward that direction…”
These debates will continue to rage on till Earth becomes a utopia and everything’s hunky dory or it becomes a dystopian wasteland and none of it matters anymore. Until then, all Chandler can do is just give his sons the best lives they can have and he’s already doing that!
