Tag: Michael Chandler

Scott Coker Believes He’ll Re-Sign “Face Of Bellator” Michael Chandler

Scott Coker is expecting to reach a new deal with Michael Chandler…

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Since Scott Coker took over as the President of Bellator MMA in 2014, the promotion has gained a reputation for signing some of the biggest name free agents to hit the market. Now, however, Coker and company will have to retain one of their own.

Former lightweight champion and longtime Bellator mainstay Michael Chandler will soon hit free agency, but Coker is hoping he’ll stick around given that he’s ‘the face of Bellator’:

“He’s the face of Bellator – for such a long time,” Coker told MMAjunkie this past weekend at Bellator 199. “The performances that he’s had in the cage – even before I got here – he’s been fantastic. He has one of the greatest fights in the history of this company, with him and Eddie Alvarez.

“We talked a little bit about the deal. But I want him to be happy. If anyone deserves it, Michael deserves it.”

Chandler, who made his promotional debut at Bellator 31 in 2010, has compiled an 18-4 professional record, while going 15-4 in the Bellator cage. Most recently, he’s picked up back-to-back victories over Goiti Yamauchi and Brandon Girtz after losing the 155-pound title to Brent Primus last June in New York City.

Given his reputation as one of the best lightweights in the world, Chandler could consider making the jump to the UFC, but Coker revealed that Bellator has ‘every intent to keep him’:

“We have every intent to keep him,” said Coker, who plans to talk to Chandler this week. “I feel we’ll get a deal done. …

“I think, really, Michael wants to stay, and we want to keep him, so I don’t even think we’ll get to this point (that he talks to the UFC).”

Where do you expect Chandler to end up?

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Scott Coker: We Have Every Intent to Keep Michael Chandler

Bellator president Scott Coker is confident that Michael Chandler will stay with the promotion. Chandler has been known as a mainstay for Bellator. He has become a fighter who many consider to be the best lightweight outside of the Ultimate Fighting Ch…

Bellator president Scott Coker is confident that Michael Chandler will stay with the promotion. Chandler has been known as a mainstay for Bellator. He has become a fighter who many consider to be the best lightweight outside of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). With a record of 18-4 and two Bellator lightweight title reigns to […]

The post Scott Coker: We Have Every Intent to Keep Michael Chandler appeared first on MMA News.

Top Lightweight Claims UFC 223 Showed Khabib’s Weakness

Former Bellator lightweight champion and perennial contender Michael Chandler may not compete in the UFC’s lightweight division, but that doesn’t stop him from keeping an eye out on their talent. Chandler specifically spoke about newly-minted UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov’s performance at UFC 223 and how it exposed his perceived weaknesses during a recent appearance […]

The post Top Lightweight Claims UFC 223 Showed Khabib’s Weakness appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

Former Bellator lightweight champion and perennial contender Michael Chandler may not compete in the UFC’s lightweight division, but that doesn’t stop him from keeping an eye out on their talent.

Chandler specifically spoke about newly-minted UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov’s performance at UFC 223 and how it exposed his perceived weaknesses during a recent appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast (via Bloody Elbow):

“If all he has is wrestling, how do you beat a man that can’t be taken down?”

“(UFC 223) showed chinks in (Khabib’s) armor, and showed what happens when Khabib can’t take you down. It’s tough whenever the one thing that you’ve always been used to dominating with isn’t working, and then you’re stuck throwing punches.”

Nurmagomedov took on Al Iaquinta at UFC 223 after his original opponent Tony Ferguson was forced to pull out with an injury the week of the fight. Iaquinta’s wrestling, while strong, isn’t on par with Nurmagomedov but he was still able to stuff several takedowns and keep the fight on the feet, especially in the later rounds.

Because of that fact, Khabib was forced to exercise his striking for much of the fight, so Chandler stated that he was a little behind in that aspect. But he stopped his criticism short to note that ‘The Eagle’ has often appeared unbeatable as well:

“He’s a little bit behind in the striking aspect,” he continued. “I’ve got a ton of respect for the guy, (he’s a) mauler. At certain times, he looks unbeatable. He has looked unbeatable where I’ve looked at it, and other people looked at it, and people that have fought him that I’ve talked to.”

Chandler (18-4) then compared his style to Nurmagomedov’s in how both men make their opponents quit and that unspoken quality that has made both men champions of their respective promotions:

“It’s a battle of wills, man. I knew I could outpace people, I knew I could out-cardio them, I could out-tough them. Certain people get to that breaking point, and they break and they concede, and they go into their shell, and they say ‘I did a good job.’”

Does the former Bellator champion have a point about Khabib’s performance at UFC 223?

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Michael Chandler Addresses Being Critical of ‘Wannabe Conor McGregor’ Dillon Danis

Former Bellator lightweight champion Michael Chandler has addressed his criticism of Dillon Danis. Back at Bellator NYC last June, Chandler lost his lightweight title to Brent Primus via TKO due to an injury. Chandler was expected to challenge Primus f…

Former Bellator lightweight champion Michael Chandler has addressed his criticism of Dillon Danis. Back at Bellator NYC last June, Chandler lost his lightweight title to Brent Primus via TKO due to an injury. Chandler was expected to challenge Primus for the title at Bellator 197. However, Primus pulled out of the fight citing a knee […]

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Michael Chandler Rips Dillon Danis’ Bellator 198 Performance

Michael Chandler is not impressed with Dillon Danis. Danis made his professional mixed martial arts debut last night (April 28). He took on Kyle Walker in the Bellator 198 main card opener. Danis ran into some trouble early on, but he was able to submi…

Michael Chandler is not impressed with Dillon Danis. Danis made his professional mixed martial arts debut last night (April 28). He took on Kyle Walker in the Bellator 198 main card opener. Danis ran into some trouble early on, but he was able to submit his opponent. It’s no secret that Danis hasn’t been shy […]

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Bellator Contender Destroys Dillon Danis’ MMA Debut

For the time being, Dillon Danis has backed up his talk. Danis, an elite-level Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu player known as one of Conor McGregor’s primary training partners, made his mixed martial arts debut last night at Bellator 198 in Chicago, Illinois, taking on Kyle Walker in the main card opener. Walker, who came into the fight […]

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For the time being, Dillon Danis has backed up his talk.

Danis, an elite-level Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu player known as one of Conor McGregor’s primary training partners, made his mixed martial arts debut last night at Bellator 198 in Chicago, Illinois, taking on Kyle Walker in the main card opener.

Walker, who came into the fight with a 2-4 record, seemed to have landed some solid shots on the feet, but once Danis got the fight to the ground, it was all over, as he locked in a toehold to secure the victory.

Following the fight, Danis continued with his brash talk, but one Bellator fighter who wasn’t too impressed with him was former lightweight champion Michael Chandler, who took to Twitter to blast Danis’ debut:

Chandler is riding a two-fight winning streak that includes victories over Goiti Yamauchi and Brandon Girtz.

What’s next for Danis is currently unclear.

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