Michael Chandler will not be deterred by his loss to Charles Oliveira at UFC 262 and is determined to come back stronger than ever.
Michael Chandler is determined to move forward following his TKO loss to Charles Oliveira and still wakes up with a smile on his face despite coming up short of the UFC lightweight title this past weekend at UFC 262.
The three-time Bellator lightweight champ still has the mindset of a champion and will not be deterred — or defined — by previous failures and setbacks.
“Hitting the ground running after a tough weekend, a tough loss, falling short, a great opportunity that we missed the mark, and that’s just the way life is,” Chandler said in a recent Instagram video (h/t MMA Fighting). “Sometimes, life’s going to deal you those kinds of things. Sometimes, you’re going to encounter scars, bruises – but the scars and bruises remind them that you’re still here, you’ve still got a smile on your face, and you’re still moving forward with complete disregard to previous failures and future opposition.”
Chandler’s loss to Oliveira snapped a three-fight win streak but the result didn’t hurt or devalue his stock. The 35-year-old MMA veteran is still ranked in the top five, per the UFC’s official lightweight rankings, and is widely considered one of the most dangerous and exciting fighters in the division. He holds impressive knockout victories over Dan Hooker, Benson Henderson, and Patricky Freire.