With the current global pandemic canceling all kinds of fights, you never know when a fighter will test positive for COVID-19. UFC debutant Michael Chandler says that he thought about contracting the virus on purpose to avoid worrying about it.
Former Bellator champion Chandler is set to make his UFC debut against Dan Hooker, at UFC 257. This is a big spotlight for someone making their debut, as a co-main event to Conor McGregor vs Dustin Poirier.
The reason for him already having such a high profile, is his long-standing status as one of the best lightweights in the world. Some people even feel that if he uses his platform properly, should he win, that he can propel himself into title contention.
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Michael Chandler Expects A War
Ahead of his UFC 257 bout with Dan Hooker, Michael Chandler has been upfront about how this is not a great matchup for him. Speaking in a recent interview, he explained that he is still confident about his chances.
That being said, Mike is going into this fight fully expecting it to turn into a war. He is not worried about not getting the takedown on Hooker, or getting out struck, but he is prepared for a 15-minute scrap.
“Ultimately it’s still just a fist fight, with a very limited ruleset, inside an Octagon-shaped cage,” Chandler said.
“I’ve done this 26 times, this will be the 27th time I’ve done it. I’m not going to say I’ve seen everything inside the confines of a mixed martial arts contest, but I’ve seen a lot.
“I’m a veteran. I’m no new guy. I might be new to the UFC, but I’m not a new guy. I’m not a new fighter. There’s not much that Dan Hooker is going to be able to throw at me that I haven’t seen shades of in the past or in training.”
“If we stay on the feet for fifteen minutes, he’s going to get some stitches, I’m going to get some stitches. We’re both going to be bleeding, we’re going to have a good time,” Chandler added.
“I believe I win a 15-minute decision if it goes that long.”
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Wanting To Catch COVID-19
Naturally the looming threat of potentially catching COVID-19 is on the minds of most people, but fighters especially. Michael Chandler is among those who, understandably so, want to avoid having to quarantine after getting the virus.
That being said, he did admit to a thought that crossed his mind around the time he was preparing for his final Bellator fight against Benson Henderson. After a teammate tested positive, he considered purposely exposing himself to the virus.
“There was a week there, where one of my training partners tested positive, and I literally had the thought ‘Well let me go train with him, share a drink with him, let me get this thing four, five, six weeks before the fight.
Because I’d rather have it five, six weeks before the fight, build the antibodies, and test negative down the line, than hide myself from it, and be afraid from it.
“That’s, as crazy as it sounds, a strategy. But for a guy like myself, I’m young, I’m in shape, healthy as an ox, heart is good, lungs are good, body is good, I wasn’t worried about getting the virus for health reasons, it was more just the paycheck.”
This is obviously a difficult time, and the thought that Michael Chandler has is not without its merits. Hopefully things will clear up soon, and this type of concern no longer becomes a factor in fighter’s or fan’s minds.
In the meantime, you can check out his highly anticipated debut, at UFC 257 on January 23rd, live on PPV.
