Former Bellator lightweight champion Michael Chandler got redemption in his last fight.
Back at Bellator NYC last June, Chandler lost his lightweight title to Brent Primus via TKO due to an injury. Chandler was expected to challenge Primus for the title at Bellator 197.
However, Primus pulled out of the fight citing a knee injury. This led to Chandler fighting Brandon Girtz at the event.
As seen in the main event, which took place back on April 13, 2018, at the Family Arena in St. Charles, Missouri on the Paramount Network, Chandler won the fight by submission in the first round.
Chandler won’t say when exactly his deal ends with the Viacom owned promotion but did note that’s very soon.
“The lightweight division in the world is a very interesting one right now,” Chandler told MMAjunkie Radio. “There’s no doubt that I’m one of those guys who is continuing to climb. I think I had a couple of losses way, way back when. That’s when I came out of the top 10, and it’s been hard to kind of get back into the top 10. But, even with the rolled ankle at Madison Square Garden, I’ve gone on a run besides that fight, with all these wins over the last couple of years.
“So you can’t deny that I’m one of the top lightweights in the world. It’s exciting. It’s enticing. There are a lot of great fights in the lightweight division, and I want to see what happens next.”
Chandler also stated that he believes he would beat the current lightweight champion in the UFC.
As seen in the main event of the UFC 223 pay-per-view event (April 8th, 2018) at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, Khabib Nurmagomedov put on a dominant performance against Al Iaquinta and won the fight by decision to become the new lightweight champion.
“That’s the thing: From the outside perspective, people always think, ‘Bellator, UFC, ONE FC, blah blah blah,’” Chandler said. “I don’t think about promotions, I think about the guys. How do I match up against Khabib? How do I take exactly what Al Iaquinta did, except with my wrestling, and my striking, and my wrestling offense and defense.
“How I would nullify his takedowns, how I would even take him down, how I would get in his face, and how he would finally have somebody put hands on him and hurt him like Michael Johnson did? I think that picture has been painted a couple of times, of how to beat Khabib. And I think I beat him 10 times out of 10.”
Do you think Chandler could back up his words about Khabib? Sound off in the comment section below.
