ABU DHABI – Michael Chandler feels he’s taking a step up in competition and it’s exactly what he wanted.
The former Bellator lightweight champion makes his UFC debut this Saturday in Abu Dhabi when he takes on contender Dan Hooker in the co-main event of UFC 257. Chandler (21-5 MMA, 0-0 UFC) made the jump from Bellator to the UFC in fall of 2020, ending a nine-year career with Bellator.
The 34-year-old Chandler has been looking forward to this moment for years and he’s excited it’s finally here.
“I’ve been outside of the UFC and every single time I trained for the guys I’ve stepped in the cage with, I wasn’t training to fight them. I was training to fight the No.1 guy in the world, and the No. 1 guy in the world has always been in the UFC banner,” Chandler said. “I was always training to beat that guy, so I’m sizing everybody up.
“Last time I was here on ‘Fight Island,’ I saw Khabib (Nurmagomedov). I saw (Justin) Gaethje. And man, these are the upper echelon. These are the guys I’ve always wanted to compete against since Day One, and now I get the opportunity. I just have to go out there and take care of business on Saturday night.”
Although Chandler thinks he’s facing a higher level in MMA now in the UFC, he thinks he’s more than ready for the step up having fought many world-class fighters in Bellator who were or went on to become UFC champions.
“This is the toughest competition that I will ever to face in my entire life,” Chandler said. “But when you look at my resume, when you look at my track record, guys like Eddie Alvarez, Benson Henderson – these were champions here in the UFC.
“Granted, it was a couple of years later. But I’ve been competing at a high level since I was 14 years old. I’ve been dreaming of this day just in case it ever did come, and now I’m fully prepared to take the opportunity head on. All these guys are the best in the world, and the UFC lightweight division is the most hyped, the most electrified division in the UFC today. It was a perfect time to insert my name into the mix.”
