Michael Chandler may find himself testing the free agency market soon.
Chandler has been a mainstay under the Bellator MMA promotion for years. He is a two-time Bellator lightweight champion and many credit him for having longevity despite his frenetic pace. Wars with Eddie Alvarez and an impressive showing against former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) title holder Benson Henderson have earned Chandler a ton of praise.
While he’s had many good moments for Bellator, Chandler may not stick around much longer. ESPN‘s Ariel Helwani reports that Chandler’s deal with Bellator is set to expire “imminently.” While the two sides have had positive conversations, a deal is far from being struck.
It’s no secret that Bellator has put an emphasis on star power. Bellator 200 wasn’t going to be headlined by the middleweight title bout between Gegard Mousasi and Rafael Carvalho. Instead, Mirko Cro Cop vs. Roy Nelson II was set to be the main event. Those plans changed when Cro Cop injured himself during training.
Chandler didn’t even get the co-main event slot at Bellator NYC despite having a title defense against Brent Primus. Instead, it served as the third bout on the main card. Fedor Emelianenko vs. Matt Mitrone went after and Neiman Gracie vs. Dave Marfone was the co-main event. Bellator NYC was headlined by Chael Sonnen vs. Wanderlei Silva.
With Bellator putting over stars before title bouts with their homegrown talent, many believe Chandler will finally make his exit from the promotion. Time will tell if he decides to make the jump.
Where do you think Michael Chandler will ultimately end up?
