“I’m right there in the mix,” Michael Chandler says he is not far from a rematch against Charles Oliveira
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Michael Chandler
Michael Chandler does not feel any different than what he felt before UFC 262. The former Bellator champion believes that there is a possibility of a rematch against Charles Oliveira.
Chandler came into the UFC and knocked out Dan Hooker in his debut. After only one fight he was granted a title shot at the vacant lightweight belt. Michael went up against ‘Do Bronx’ and was stopped by Oliveira in the second round by knockout. Recently, the former champion appeared in an interview with MMA Junkie to talk about his loss against Charles and how is handling his defeat. “There’s a case to be out there, and I’ve seen a lot of people say maybe an immediate rematch,” Chandler told MMA Junkie Radio.
“There’s a case to be made that I have one fight and beat any other guys in the top five, and I’m right there. I do believe I’m a big player at this point. I do believe I’m world-class. I do believe I’m just as good as any of these guys. I do believe that Charles Oliveira beats anybody else in the top five. You look him against (Dustin) Poirier, you look at him against Conor (McGregor), you look at him against (Justin) Gaethje. I mean that’s a tough test for anybody, so losing to Charles Oliveira doesn’t make me a guy that shouldn’t be fighting for a world title anytime soon,” Chandler said.
Michael Chandler will not put any limits to what can happen
Chandler believes that there are chances for an immediate rematch and he doesn’t want to lower his hopes for that given how packed the division is. “At this point, I don’t put any limits on what could happen. Immediate rematch could be a possibility, who knows? One fight could be a possibility, and then I’m fighting for the world title again by the first quarter of next year. I’m not putting limits on anything. Obviously, I have a limited time period. I’m not going to be here for a ton longer, so I want to get that title shot again before the end of next year. Either way, I’m willing to cut my teeth. I’m willing to re-build,” Iron Mike said.
Chandler gets his confidence from the UFC itself. UFC apparently has given a sign of positivity that there are chances he could come back on top. “On Monday, I heard from the UFC,” Chandler said. “They called me and said, ‘Keep your head up. You’re right there in the mix. Phenomenal fight. You almost beat the eventual world champion. You’re right there in the mix, and we’re going to get you another top five guy.’“
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Prateek Athanur
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