HOLLYWOOD, Fla. – By now, it should come as little surprise that Michael Chandler wants to get into a firefight.
He’ll have his next opportunity in a couple months on a high-profile card. Chandler (22-6 MMA, 1-1 UFC) takes on Justin Gaethje (22-3 MMA, 5-3 UFC) on Nov. 6 at UFC 268, which is scheduled for Madison Square Garden in New York.
Chandler never has shied away from violent fights, and he also hasn’t been shy about predicting future violence in his matchups. That’s what he thinks will happen with Gaethje, another seasoned gunslinger.
“I think we go out there, we find out who takes the first backwards step, we get into a brawl and we have a blast,” Chandler told MMA Junkie at Saturday’s Triller boxing event not far from his home base in South Florida. “I’m going to come forward, I’m going to get in (Gaethje’s) face, I’m going to take the center of the octagon. I’m ready for violence, I’m ready for bloodshed and I’m ready for action to give the fans at home a phenomenal show. So (Gaethje should) pack a lunch, show up, eat hearty – because we’ve got some work to do.”
In eight UFC fights, Geathje has a remarkable nine performance bonuses – including two fights in which he doubled up. The only bout he failed to get a bonus check was his most recent time out, when he was choked to sleep by Khabib Nurmagomedov in a bid for the lightweight title at UFC 254. Gaethje was the interim champion at the time.
Chandler is coming off his own failed bid for a UFC title. He was stopped with a second-round TKO by Charles Oliveira in a vacant lightweight title fight at UFC 262 in May after Nurmagomedov vacated the title in retirement.
The former Bellator champ’s UFC debut was a bonus-winning knockout of Dan Hooker in January, so he’s no stranger to highlight reels.
“All I’ve been trying to do for 13 years is give the fans, fireworks,” Chandler said. “I haven’t had a better opponent for that since Eddie Alvarez, and that was years ago at this point. I’m excited about it. I think Justin Gaethje is a consummate professional and an exciting fighter.”
Michael Chandler implores Justin Gaethje to ‘pack a lunch’ and get ready to go to work at UFC 268
