Whereas it’d seem that Michael
Chandler wasted priceless years of his MMA profession ready on a
Conor
McGregor struggle that has but to materialize, the previous Bellator
MMA champion has a unique perspective on that point away.
“Having that a lot day without work, I wanted it. I actually wanted it,”
Chandler instructed the New York Put up. “Six coaching camps in a
26-month interval, each single struggle was do or die — High 3, High 5
man, world title fights, fights of the night time, fights of the yr.
And I really like the game; I’m so blessed to do the game of combined
martial arts as knowledgeable and receives a commission for it and feed my
household with it, however it was taking a toll on me. I wanted a while
off.”
Chandler hasn’t competed since November 2022, when he suffered a
third-round submission loss towards Dustin
Poirier at UFC 281. He was then booked to teach reverse
McGregor on “The Final Fighter 31,” seemingly setting the stage
for a big-ticket struggle after the present. Nevertheless, the bout was
delayed time and time once more, and Chandler finally determined to
transfer on after the Irish star pulled out of their reserving at
UFC
303 on the week of the struggle resulting from a toe damage.
As a substitute, Chandler will face Charles
Oliveira within the co-main occasion at UFC 309
on Nov. 16 at Madison Sq. Backyard in New York. The previous
College of Missouri wrestler is keen to get one other shot at “do
Bronx” after falling to the Brazilian through second-round TKO in a
155-pound title bout at UFC 262. Chandler took the struggle towards
Oliveira roughly 4 months after a first-round stoppage of
Dan
Hooker in his Octagon debut.
“I had virtually no time to actually course of and construct and develop,”
Chandler stated. “I’m 38 years previous. I used to be 34 again then, however I’m nonetheless
rising. We’re all nonetheless rising as human beings, and I simply wasn’t
the place I wanted to be. I went in there very assured. I put in a
nice coaching camp, however I went on the market to attempt to kill Charles
Oliveira within the first second of the primary spherical — 10-8’d him in
the primary spherical — and I simply wasn’t in a position to hold that tempo.
“I made a foul resolution, put myself in some unhealthy spots. I wasn’t
combating to the perfect of my means, and I’ve since mounted all of
these issues, primarily mentally and spiritually.”
UFC 309:
Jones vs Miocic. Saturday at 10 ET on ESPN+. Order
Now!
Courting again to his Bellator tenure, Chandler is 0-3 at Madison
Sq. Backyard, a reality of which he’s painfully conscious. Nevertheless, he
can also be grateful to be given one other likelihood to compete on the
famend venue.
“It’s an enormous blessing to be thought-about for the Madison Sq.
Backyard card,” Chandler stated. “They don’t simply throw anyone on the
Madison Sq. Backyard card. The UFC places guys and gals on the struggle
card which might be going to placed on a fantastic present.”
Chandler believes the whole lot is in place for him to not solely break
his MSG curse, however avenge his earlier loss to Oliveira.
“It’s going to be a masterful efficiency. And I believe I’m going to
surgically and systematically break this man down till he seems
for the exit signal, and I’m going to go on the market and I’m going to
end,” Chandler stated.
“This model of me, Chandler 2.0, is way completely different than Chandler
1.0 that he fought at UFC 262 in Houston. And I’m excited to exit
there and never simply present him that however present the complete world.”
