Michael Chandler was candid about being surprised he became a UFC superstar.
After finding tremendous success in Bellator, Chandler joined the UFC and made his promotional debut in January 2021. ‘Iron’ quickly became a fan favorite with a thrilling first-round knockout against Dan Hooker. Since then, the former University of Missouri wrestler has become one of the biggest superstars in the UFC.
During a video on his YouTube channel, Chandler opened up about his success as a fighter by saying:
“I am where I’m at today because I was an indispensable asset to the organization Bellator. They wanted to keep me, they promoted me, they paid me well. Then I came over to the UFC and now I’ve become one of those guys in the UFC, a bigger star than I ever thought I would become, brighter lights than I ever thought would be there, bigger fights than I ever thought would be there. It’s always worked out because I’ve just been easy to work with.”
Chandler’s win against Hooker led to an opportunity to secure the vacant UFC lightweight championship against Charles Oliveira. Unfortunately for ‘Iron,’ Oliveira wouldn’t be denied, leading to a second-round knockout for ‘Do Bronx.’
Chandler lost his next Octagon appearance against Justin Gaethje before taking out Tony Ferguson with an unforgettable front-kick knockout. ‘Iron’ last fought in November 2022, losing against Dustin Poirier in one of the best fights of the year. Regardless of the outcome, the Missouri native always puts on a show, leading to endless support from MMA fans.
Watch Michael Chandler discuss various topics on his YouTube channel below:
Michael Chandler reveals inspiring advice he told the competitors on The Ultimate Fighter
Michael Chandler’s superstar status led to a coaching role on The Ultimate Fighter Season 31. Chandler found himself coaching against Conor McGregor, with the expectation of a highly-anticipated matchup later this year. During the same YouTube video, ‘Iron’ discussed some advice he gave to his team once filming was over:
“As you guys know, I just went through the Ultimate Fighter process. I remember at the end of the process, the end of the filming, I said, ok guys, we just got done with the fighting part of it, the reality show part of it, but now it’s time to be a professional…”
Chandler continued by saying:
“Here’s the thing about mixed martial arts. We think it’s punches, and kicks, and knees, and elbows, and the Xs and Os, we think it’s about winning, but winning is only half the battle, maybe, maybe less than half the battle… There will never be a shortage of men and women who can go out there, put on great shows, and win fights, but what truly matters is how do you treat people, what is your reputation.”
The details for McGregor vs. Chandler are currently unclear. Dana White initially said they would fight at lightweight, but ‘The Notorious’ guaranteed they would meet at welterweight. There are also concerns about the date because McGregor still hasn’t rejoined the USADA testing pool, which requires six months of random drug screening. Meanwhile, ‘Iron’ patiently waits for the chance to further his superstar status.
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) March 19, 2023
