“I have been a guy that’s said yes a lot when a lot of guys have said no,” Michael Chandler talks about title opportunity at UFC 262
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Michael Chandler
The former two-time Bellator Lightweight champion Michael Chandler is all set to wrap the UFC Lightweight championship around his waist at UFC 262. After being a part of Bellator for almost ten years, Chandler parted ways with it and joined UFC.
Michael Chandler got the chance to face a top 5 ranked fighter from the division in form of Dan Hooker and he knocked him out in the very first round of their fight. Many people are asking the promotion that it’s unfair to give Chandler title opportunity in his second UFC fight.
But Michael Chandler is keen to answer them after the fight at UFC 262. In his latest interview with MMA Fighting, Chandler says, “The people that say yes, the people that are willing to step up, the people that are willing to put the work in and raise their hand when everybody else is covering their heads up, those people are usually rewarded for it and the UFC has done right by me so far,”
“It’s been a pleasure to be signed by the UFC. It’s been a pleasure since day one and I imagine it’s going to be even more of a pleasure after I get that UFC title strapped around my waist.” {H/T MMA Fighting}
Michael Chandler continued, “I have been a guy that’s said yes a lot when a lot of guys have said no, pretty much everybody in the top five has said no to a fight against me except for Dan Hooker and I tip my hat and commend him for taking that fight Jan. 23. He’s a heck of a competitor, I know he’ll be back but I was glad to get the knockout that night.”
“With Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier doing their trilogy, we weren’t really sure where Justin Gaethje stood. I think it makes a lot of sense. Charles Oliveira as a competitor, he’s as tough as they come.” {H/T MMA Fighting}
Michael Chandler is very well aware of the challenges that Charles Oliveira will present to him
In the form of his opponent, Michael Chandler is facing Charles Oliveira who is holding the longest active win streak in the Lightweight division and coming in this fight with a win against the former interim champion Tony Ferguson.
Chandler says, “Charles is a salty, crafty veteran, He’s a guy who’s been inside that octagon dozens of times now. He’s been in the octagon a lot of times. He’s got a lot of experience.”
“He’s great on the ground. He’s shown to be improving on the feet. He’s dangerous everywhere. This is a dangerous fight. This is an exciting fight.” {H/T MMA Fighting}
He continued, “I feel like we’re going to see the best version of Charles Oliveira. Any time you get the opportunity to step into that octagon and compete for UFC gold, you’re going to see the best version of Charles Oliveira but you’re also going to see the best version of myself.”
“This is what I’ve been working towards outside the UFC for 12 years and now for the last six months being signed with the UFC, working towards getting myself into the title picture, getting myself into title contention. Now here we are.”
Michael Chandler wrote the perfect beginning of his UFC career and he hopes that he’ll pen a similar one with the fights that are lying ahead of him. Chandler added,
“I walk out into a packed arena in Houston, Texas, 19,000 red, white and blue-blooded Americans chanting my name, rooting for me, I go out there and I get in Charles Oliveira’s face immediately and he will realize and feel from the first exchange, from the pressure I put on him, he will immediately start to second guess himself.” {H/T MMA Fighting}
“He will immediately start to overreact. He will immediately start to worry about his legs. I’ll go to his head. I’m going to go to his legs. I’m going to go to his body. I’m going to mix it up. A punch is going to land, he’s going to get his clock cleaned.”
Michael Chandler concluded, “He’s going to wake up to the bright lights of me standing on top of the cage about to get my hand raised and UFC gold around my waist. That’s how it’s going to go. I predict it’s going to be in the first round. Then I predict a phenomenal end to 2021 and then we’re going to carry this baby on for a couple of years.” {H/T MMA Fighting}
Also Read: UFC 262 (Main Card): Shane Burgos vs Edson Barboza Preview and Prediction.
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Shivansh Thakur
(1173 Articles Published)