Ahead of UFC 284 this weekend in Perth, Australia – undisputed lightweight champion, Islam Makhachev has garnered interest from #5 ranked division challenger, Michael Chandler, with the MIssouri veteran admitting how he would like to test both himself and his American-style wrestling against the lightweight pacesetter.
Headlining UFC 285 ‘Down Under’ this weekend, Makhachev will attempt to defend his lightweight crown against challenger, undisputed featherweight titleholder, Alexander Volkanovski. The bout will come as Makhachev’s first since he struck vacant gold against common-foe, Charles Oliveira at UFC 280 last October.
And as for Chandler, the former three-time Bellator MMA lightweight champion will serve as an opposing coach on The Ultimate Fighter 31 in the coming weeks, before fighting former two-weight UFC champion, Conor McGregor later this year.
Previously vying for lightweight spoils under the UFC banner back in 2021, Chandler has sights fixed on adding to his prior Bellator exploits, having suffered his own knockout loss to Oliveira in his vacant title chase.
Michael Chandler weighs up future fight with Islam Makhachev
Weighing up a future fight with Makhachev, Chandler admitted he was gunning to test his own decorated wrestling abilities against the renowned Sambo skills of the former.
“Islam (Makhachev) came in and proved that he is what he said he was,” Michael Chandler said during a video on the UFC YouTube channel. “All of us giving him so much credit for the strength of schedule that he had, he didn’t deserve to be kind of put in that position yet, but going out there and finishing Charles Oliveira – finishing Dan Hooker before that I think, he proved that he was out champion. And we all need to accept it, and he’s very good. We’re going to watch him defend the title I do think.”
“I would love to be able to test my wrestling – my American wrestling, against him Dagestani grappling,” Michael Chandler explained. “But I need to string together some wins, and prove that I deserve to be in that position. But him as a fighter – him as our champion, I’m excited to see the wins that he strings together, ‘cause I do think he’s string together quite a few.”