Michael Chandler: (18:33)
So humbled by the opportunity to go out there. I finished top five lightweight. We’ll see what’s next. You guys heard me. I would love for Khabib to come back. A little bit … I get it, I haven’t earned the right for him to think that he is not levels above me, yet, with just that performance. But I promise you, I could beat that man. I promise you. If he steps into the octagon with me, he becomes 29 and Chandler and not 30 and 0. So we will see.
John: (19:03)I guess you’ve probably heard, Dana. That was exactly what he said, right?
Michael Chandler: (19:06)I did.
John: (19:09)Did that burn you a little bit?
Michael Chandler: (19:09)
It did and, man, as I’ve said too, and I looked right into all these other cameras and just said, “Listen Khabib, you are the greatest of all time. You are the goat. You are undefeated. You have looked unbeatable. You are right. None of these guys can hold a candle to you. What are you going to do? Come back and rematch one of these guys, it’s not going to happen. You don’t need to do that. You’re a champion.”(19:27)
But when a guy who shows that he’s got a wrestling pedigree, when a guy who comes in and shows, yeah, he’s not undefeated. Listen, I’m not undefeated. I wear my Ls on my sleeve. I got five of them. A couple of them were weird stoppages, TKO, injury, defaults, whatever you call them. But every single time I’ve come back better. I’m by no means a perfect man inside that cage, inside that octagon. But I promise you, I can beat that man. I promise you. I can beat Khabib. So I told him. Didn’t tell him personally, but I told him through the camera lens, “Listen, you’ve earned every right to be able to sail off into the sunset and continue living your life and making your impact because you’ve done it thus far. But man, if you ever do come back, there’s a man over here waiting for you from High Ridge, Missouri.”
John: (20:19)
Last thing for me, clearly the Khabib fight would be the one, but if not, I’m sure you heard Dana say, it looks like, you and Dustin for the championship, might make sense. Does that appeal to you?
Michael Chandler: (20:27)
Of course, man, Dustin, there is not a man on this roster that I respect more than Dustin Poirier. Borderline a fan of the man. We sat next to each other before weigh-ins just talking about our wives, our kids, our life, I’m talking to him about my groove ring. I’m like, “Hey man, what kind of silicone ring you wear?” I’m going to send them a box of these. He’s the kind of guy that I would love to go and step into that octagon and beat the freaking crap out of for twenty-five minutes. We both get bonuses, we both go kiss our wives and our kids, and enjoy our-(21:03)
… kiss our wives and our kids and enjoy our lives. But he’s one of those guys. He’s one of the good ones, man. So if that’s what Dana wants, who am I to let him down, man?(21:14)
I took zero damage in this fight. I’m ready to go out there and compete again, ASAP. whether it’s in the sands of Abu Dhabi, or the under the bright lights of Las Vegas, or anywhere in between, I’m ready.
Interviewer 1: (21:30)
You’ve obviously been in a lot of title fights, the Benson Henderson one was a big one going into your contracts, but how would you compare this to your Bellator victories?
Michael Chandler: (21:37)
This is the greatest victory of my life. Listen, you talk about stage, you talk about platform, you talk about opportunity. You talk about tons of doubters, and rightfully so, tons of people that said I was going to go out there and get my chin kneed into the stands and get sent back to the B leagues and all kinds of stuff. And there was a lot of people saying that, and it’s part of it. (22:02)
This one was a satisfying one, and I wasn’t here to prove the doubters wrong. But I was here to prove the believers and the supporters and my fans and my family and my followers right, all those people who have followed me since my High Ridge, Missouri days, my Mizzou wrestling days, all the way through Bellator, and now here into the UFC, everybody who has stood by me through thick and thin, through all the ups and all the downs. we did it, and we’re moving forward.
Interviewer 1: (22:29)
Did you get to say anything to Dan after? It seems like he took his gloves off and threw them into the octagon. So we were a little confused about that too.
Michael Chandler: (22:36)
Yeah. I mean, I just said, “Thank you for the opportunity, man. You’re a warrior.”(22:40)
He was very down. I’m not a big talk-to-your-opponent-after-you-win, I’m really not. I actually think it’s one of the most disrespectful things in the sport. I think it’s absolutely the worst. When you choke a guy out or you knock them out, as soon as he comes to you start hugging them and kissing them. No, let the man take his loss, let him breathe. Let him do his thing inside of his head. (23:05)
I’m not there to be the holier than thou, great god of sportsmanship, to pick them up when he’s … dust him off. No, let him enjoy … not enjoy, but let him deal with what he just went through. Because trust me, I’ve been through it too. And I don’t want anybody to look at me, touch them, touch me, talk to me for about a week. So …
Interviewer 1: (23:26)
And then in the main event, when you’re watching, in terms of actually how the fight played out, Connor obviously going for the shoulders strikes, Dustin going for the calf kicks, that was when it turns. So when you’re watching that, was it playing out how you expected and if not, what was going through your mind?
Michael Chandler: (23:39)
It was. I think Connor was fighting calm, composed, precise. And Dustin kind of seemed like he was buying his time a little bit. I mean, we all know Dustin’s a cardio machine. We all know that he can push into those later rounds. And I think that he probably wanted to get into those later rounds, unless he got Connor up and against the cage, hit him with a barrage of shots, hit him in the temple and knocked him dow, like he did. (24:08)
It was playing out exactly kind of how I thought. The fight materialized exactly how it did. And Dustin Poirier looked phenomenal tonight. Connor will dust himself back off and come on back soon.
Interviewer 2: (24:23)
Mike, right here in front of you. Someone posted a picture of you before your walkout, and it says that you told this person that you felt better than ever. What was going through your mind when you’re walking to the arena?
Michael Chandler: (24:38)
As untouchable as I’ve ever felt in my entire life. I just felt confident. I felt good. I felt calm. I felt happy. I’m always happy to compete.(24:50)
Listen, God has given me some great gifts, two capable arms, two capable legs, to do something that not a lot of people get to do, that lot of people look at. You right now, are asking me questions about it. This is an amazing life that I get to live. And I’ve had a lot of highlights in my career, a lot of great times of my career, but this was by far the best. It really was.
Michael Chandler: (25:11)
The pressure, the lights, the platform, the pay-per-view, the names, the everything, it was just huge. You couldn’t have scripted a better chapter in, in my career. Now a new chapter, a blank canvas, a masterpiece that I can paint, that every single day, painting a new brush stroke, so my son Hap can see it some day and know that his dad did everything that he possibly could with the talents that he was given. And that’s just the way that I felt.(25:36)
I just say, “Thank you, God. Thank you, Jesus, for this opportunity.” I’ve said it 1,000 times on the way there. And the fight happened, how it happened. And here we are. I’ll see at the top.
Interviewer 2: (25:47)
My last question is … You just mentioned your son, and it’s his birthday. It was yesterday, but it’s still his birthday in America. Was that a gift you want to give him?
Michael Chandler: (25:56)
Yeah. Yeah, I think so. I mean, the thing that I want to give him the most is my time, my love, my me being there. And it’s painful at times. It’s tough. It’s tough being away from him, but he will know without a shadow of a doubt that every man has to work, and what we do with our life can impact people. It can change people’s lives. It can help people fight the fights that they’re going through. And he will see this masterpiece that I’m painting. And he’ll know that even though his dad wasn’t there all the time, and yes, I missed a birthday or we’re away from each other for short periods of time, that I was out there pursuing God’s best for my life. And he will in turn, do that someday. And that kid is going to speak to nations. (26:41)
He’s going to change his generation. He is going to lead his generation, I promise you that. And I just hope that I can lead lead by example. And it was a phenomenal, phenomenal night. And I can’t wait to get on that plane and get back home.
Interviewer 3: (26:57)
Michael, here, here. Hey, I don’t know if you follow these type of things, but [Patricia Pitchable 00:00:27:04] posted a message for you, calling you his son, but he also said that you will be the next champion of the UFC. What do you make of this comments of Patricia?
Michael Chandler: (27:17)I will.
Interviewer 3: (27:21)He said it even before your fight today.
Michael Chandler: (27:25)I will.
Interviewer 3: (27:28)
And next thing, I know you, one step at a time, you probably will fight for a title. But in your future, do you think about going after the champ status at some point?
Michael Chandler: (27:41)
If the opportunity presents itself. I’ll tell you what, there’s a lot of great fights in this organization. I mean, this is the Mecca of great fights. There’s a ton of great fights. I am by no means a welterweight. I definitely can make featherweight, but I am by no means a welterweight height. One 55 is the perfect weight class for me. I feel good there. The weight is not the easiest to make, so I’d love to find some guys at one 70. I’d love to test my hand at welterweight, but it’s got to be the right guy. There’s a BMF belt out there. There’s the possible welterweight belt, if I ever did go up, but it’s got to be right fights.(28:26)
There’s no shortage of great fights in this lightweight division. I mean, look at the guys that fought tonight. So, we’ll see. One 55 is where I need to be, where I like to be, where I want to capture my first title. And then we’ll go from there.
Interviewer 3: (28:38)
And you have been training with GIlbert Burns. What can you say about his chance against Kamaru Usman?
Michael Chandler: (28:43)
He is the man, man. Gilbert Burns lives it, inside the gym, outside the gym. Family man, great human being. I think you’re going to see Gilbert Burns as the next champion. I think where he’s at mentally, where he’s at physically, he is a large human being. The fact that he ever made one 55 is … it blows my mind.(29:10)
We worked together for this fight. He had a lot of insight on Dan Hooker. He’s the best technician on the ground, in the world, in my opinion. Power in both hands. I can’t wait to see that fight. Obviously, Kamaru Usman, is a friend of mine, former teammate, but I believe Gilbert Burns will be able to get that done.
Interviewer 4: (29:32)
I just asked Dana White if your UFC debut was the most impressive one he’s ever seen. And he said that he can’t think of a better one. I’m sure you were very much prepared for this fight, but did you really at any stage expect this scenario?
Michael Chandler: (29:46)
Man, at this point, you got to stop second-guessing God’s best for your life. You do. Like, “Well, maybe I don’t deserve it. Maybe it’ll be a lackluster performance.” Hey, Eddie lost his first fight. He still became champion. All these things that human beings go through. We all go through these crazy thoughts. (30:01)
Why not just let it fly? Why not just believe that you are the best in the world. Why not just believe that you can accomplish great things? So you couldn’t have scripted it any better.(30:10)
Listen to Dana say that, saying me and Dustin possibly for the title next. Who knows? Like, even the fact that I’m getting talked about next fight being for the title. That being said, that’s great news.(30:23)
UFC debut. I wanted to come in here and do something great. The word of the week was always remarkable, or spectacular, or whatever the word was, that everybody wanted to see. One of them cool adjectives. But that’s what I go for every single fight.(30:38)
I’ve never been in a boring fight. I’ve lost some fights, but they were always exciting. So couldn’t have scripted it any better. I took zero damage. We live to fight another day, and can’t wait to get back in there. I can’t wait to get out there, celebrate my team, and then also talk to the UFC brass and see what is about to happen. Maybe we can get [Khabib 00:30:55] on the phone. We’ll see.
Interviewer 4: (30:57)Congratulations.
Michael Chandler: (30:58)Thank you.
Interviewer 5: (31:01)Michael, to your left here. How many times did you rehearse the Ric Flair [inaudible 00:00:31:06]?
Michael Chandler: (31:08)
I thought about it a couple of times. So, the origination of that was actually DC and Ariel talking about why I was in the video game. Ariel said I shouldn’t have been in the video game. I hadn’t fought in the UFC yet. And DC was like, “Well, yeah, but he’s Ric Flair.” He came over from WCW, and he got the title shot right away. Everybody was mad, but he’s Ric Flair. So kind of funny, (31:28)
I’m actually not the biggest WWE pro wrestling guy, but it was the best day of my professional career. I didn’t do the whole tear-in-my-eye thing. I thought that was a little over-the-top. And then the call-outs came after that.
Interviewer 5: (31:42)
You say it’s the best day of your career, but you’re a three-time Bellator Lightweight Champion. Do you think that is the best day of your career? Because obviously, as we talked about in the buildup, there were people that were doubting your legitimacy and obviously, you [inaudible 00:31:57] size them in [inaudible 00:31:58] fashion.
Michael Chandler: (31:59)
Yeah. Listen, I mean, it depends on what you fight for. Do you fight for money? Do you fight for cars, glitz, glam? Do you fight because you like to fight and inflict harm on people? (32:09)
I think I like all of those things in moderation, or to a certain extent. But the biggest thing that I want to do with this career, with the talents that God has given me, is be on the biggest stage, the biggest platform, to have the loudest voice possible. (32:24)
It doesn’t get any better than the co-main event, sharing the octagon right before Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier go out there, two of the most electrifying lightweights on the planet. It doesn’t get any bigger than that. I can’t wait to see the numbers. (32:36)
Every single one of those people saw my fight. It wasn’t the first fight of the night and people were just kind of, “Maybe I’ll buy it. Maybe I won’t.” It was the co-main event. I was warming up the octagon for two of the baddest dudes, two of the biggest superstars on the planet. It doesn’t get any bigger than that platform. (32:51)
So yes, best day of my professional career, because I was able to have this voice, have this platform, have this opportunity.
Interviewer 5: (32:58)
And what’s been the reaction from the friends and family? Your phone must just be blowing up right now. Right?
Michael Chandler: (33:02)
It is. I haven’t talked to anybody besides my wife. Called her right away. She was in tears. She’s proud of me. I would not be sitting here today, doing what I’m able to do without that woman, her support, her selflessness, her sacrifice. She’s a career woman herself. So she’s working a full-time job, getting extra degrees, becoming a doctor, taking care of our son, taking out the trash, doing all the stuff that I should be doing. So, can’t wait to get on that plane and go see her. But phone’s blowing up. Social media is blowing up, obviously. So it’s great. This is just part of the ride. And here we go, heading to the top.
Interviewer 5: (33:38)
Finally, you were eyeing them during the media date. Do you want another brownie? I saved one for you, because [crosstalk 00:12:42]-
Michael Chandler: (33:42)Oh, my gosh. Yes, I do. You have a brownie right now?
Interviewer 5: (33:45)Yes, I do.
Michael Chandler: (33:45)All right. Consider it my-
Interviewer 5: (33:46)It was my last one. I-
Michael Chandler: (33:49)You’re a swell guy. You are a swell guy. Thank you.
Interviewer 5: (33:52)I wish my fiance thought that.
Michael Chandler: (33:53)Yeah.
Interviewer 6: (33:56)
Mike, over here to your left. You’ve talked a lot about what you think a fight with Habib would look like. But if you end up fighting Dustin, what do you think that fight looks like?
Michael Chandler: (34:05)
Listen, as I said, as a human being, I think Dustin Poirier … you don’t get any better than that. Also, just his story, where he came from. He’s like every other young kid from a small town, who had some rough patches and wasn’t quite sure where the direction in life he was going to go. And now look at him, look where he’s at. Look what he’s done. Look what he’s accomplished. It’s nothing short of amazing. Dustin Poirier is a fight that I think is a great matchup for me. I think it’s a fight that fans want to see. I mean, at this point, now that I’m finally a UFC fighter, now that I’m finally a guy who’s got a win in the octagon, a guy who kind of can say, “Hey, I’m one of the guys now.” I think the fans are like, “Okay, now I want to see that Chandler guy fight again.” And why not Dustin Poirier? (34:56)
Respect him in every sense of the word, and in businesses business. We go out there, we touch gloves. And then we collect our paychecks, and we go take care of our families.
Interviewer 6: (35:06)
And last thing. You mentioned you are a UFC fighter now,[crosstalk 00:14:09].
Michael Chandler: (35:09)Finally.
Interviewer 6: (35:11)
Can you just describe what the experience was like, compared to obviously past experiences in your fighting career, fighting in this venue, the environment, Bruce Buffer intro-ing you, and just all those things?
Michael Chandler: (35:23)
The Bruce Buffer thing, that was something that my … I roomed with my best friend and manager, Randall, this whole week. And this morning, we’re going over the … He does a great Bruce Buffer impression, so we were just going over that. And it was surreal, but it was also, it helped me visualize, it helped me see everything. It helped me be in that octagon before I got there. The whole experience has been nothing short of amazing.(35:54)
That first trip to Abu Dhabi was great, because I got to meet everybody, all my coworkers, and all the people I’m going to spending time with for the next five years, or whatever, the remainder of my career. And it’s been great, obviously. Everything is just much bigger.(36:11)
I’ve been competing at a high level for a long time, but everything is just much bigger here. This is a well-oiled machine. And the organization of the UFC, what they’re doing on a worldwide stage is just … it’s great to be a part of it. Glad to intro myself on this stage, get that first round knockout. And man, it’s kind of surreal that this whole thing is over now. And I’m about to hop on the plane, and we got the win.(36:35)
You always visualize this this moment, and it’s kind of just hitting you, so it’s great
So humbled by the opportunity to go out there. I finished top five lightweight. We’ll see what’s next. You guys heard me. I would love for Khabib to come back. A little bit … I get it, I haven’t earned the right for him to think that he is not levels above me, yet, with just that performance. But I promise you, I could beat that man. I promise you. If he steps into the octagon with me, he becomes 29 and Chandler and not 30 and 0. So we will see.
John: (19:03)I guess you’ve probably heard, Dana. That was exactly what he said, right?
Michael Chandler: (19:06)I did.
John: (19:09)Did that burn you a little bit?
Michael Chandler: (19:09)
It did and, man, as I’ve said too, and I looked right into all these other cameras and just said, “Listen Khabib, you are the greatest of all time. You are the goat. You are undefeated. You have looked unbeatable. You are right. None of these guys can hold a candle to you. What are you going to do? Come back and rematch one of these guys, it’s not going to happen. You don’t need to do that. You’re a champion.”(19:27)
But when a guy who shows that he’s got a wrestling pedigree, when a guy who comes in and shows, yeah, he’s not undefeated. Listen, I’m not undefeated. I wear my Ls on my sleeve. I got five of them. A couple of them were weird stoppages, TKO, injury, defaults, whatever you call them. But every single time I’ve come back better. I’m by no means a perfect man inside that cage, inside that octagon. But I promise you, I can beat that man. I promise you. I can beat Khabib. So I told him. Didn’t tell him personally, but I told him through the camera lens, “Listen, you’ve earned every right to be able to sail off into the sunset and continue living your life and making your impact because you’ve done it thus far. But man, if you ever do come back, there’s a man over here waiting for you from High Ridge, Missouri.”
John: (20:19)
Last thing for me, clearly the Khabib fight would be the one, but if not, I’m sure you heard Dana say, it looks like, you and Dustin for the championship, might make sense. Does that appeal to you?
Michael Chandler: (20:27)
Of course, man, Dustin, there is not a man on this roster that I respect more than Dustin Poirier. Borderline a fan of the man. We sat next to each other before weigh-ins just talking about our wives, our kids, our life, I’m talking to him about my groove ring. I’m like, “Hey man, what kind of silicone ring you wear?” I’m going to send them a box of these. He’s the kind of guy that I would love to go and step into that octagon and beat the freaking crap out of for twenty-five minutes. We both get bonuses, we both go kiss our wives and our kids, and enjoy our-(21:03)
… kiss our wives and our kids and enjoy our lives. But he’s one of those guys. He’s one of the good ones, man. So if that’s what Dana wants, who am I to let him down, man?(21:14)
I took zero damage in this fight. I’m ready to go out there and compete again, ASAP. whether it’s in the sands of Abu Dhabi, or the under the bright lights of Las Vegas, or anywhere in between, I’m ready.
Interviewer 1: (21:30)
You’ve obviously been in a lot of title fights, the Benson Henderson one was a big one going into your contracts, but how would you compare this to your Bellator victories?
Michael Chandler: (21:37)
This is the greatest victory of my life. Listen, you talk about stage, you talk about platform, you talk about opportunity. You talk about tons of doubters, and rightfully so, tons of people that said I was going to go out there and get my chin kneed into the stands and get sent back to the B leagues and all kinds of stuff. And there was a lot of people saying that, and it’s part of it. (22:02)
This one was a satisfying one, and I wasn’t here to prove the doubters wrong. But I was here to prove the believers and the supporters and my fans and my family and my followers right, all those people who have followed me since my High Ridge, Missouri days, my Mizzou wrestling days, all the way through Bellator, and now here into the UFC, everybody who has stood by me through thick and thin, through all the ups and all the downs. we did it, and we’re moving forward.
Interviewer 1: (22:29)
Did you get to say anything to Dan after? It seems like he took his gloves off and threw them into the octagon. So we were a little confused about that too.
Michael Chandler: (22:36)
Yeah. I mean, I just said, “Thank you for the opportunity, man. You’re a warrior.”(22:40)
He was very down. I’m not a big talk-to-your-opponent-after-you-win, I’m really not. I actually think it’s one of the most disrespectful things in the sport. I think it’s absolutely the worst. When you choke a guy out or you knock them out, as soon as he comes to you start hugging them and kissing them. No, let the man take his loss, let him breathe. Let him do his thing inside of his head. (23:05)
I’m not there to be the holier than thou, great god of sportsmanship, to pick them up when he’s … dust him off. No, let him enjoy … not enjoy, but let him deal with what he just went through. Because trust me, I’ve been through it too. And I don’t want anybody to look at me, touch them, touch me, talk to me for about a week. So …
Interviewer 1: (23:26)
And then in the main event, when you’re watching, in terms of actually how the fight played out, Connor obviously going for the shoulders strikes, Dustin going for the calf kicks, that was when it turns. So when you’re watching that, was it playing out how you expected and if not, what was going through your mind?
Michael Chandler: (23:39)
It was. I think Connor was fighting calm, composed, precise. And Dustin kind of seemed like he was buying his time a little bit. I mean, we all know Dustin’s a cardio machine. We all know that he can push into those later rounds. And I think that he probably wanted to get into those later rounds, unless he got Connor up and against the cage, hit him with a barrage of shots, hit him in the temple and knocked him dow, like he did. (24:08)
It was playing out exactly kind of how I thought. The fight materialized exactly how it did. And Dustin Poirier looked phenomenal tonight. Connor will dust himself back off and come on back soon.
Interviewer 2: (24:23)
Mike, right here in front of you. Someone posted a picture of you before your walkout, and it says that you told this person that you felt better than ever. What was going through your mind when you’re walking to the arena?
Michael Chandler: (24:38)
As untouchable as I’ve ever felt in my entire life. I just felt confident. I felt good. I felt calm. I felt happy. I’m always happy to compete.(24:50)
Listen, God has given me some great gifts, two capable arms, two capable legs, to do something that not a lot of people get to do, that lot of people look at. You right now, are asking me questions about it. This is an amazing life that I get to live. And I’ve had a lot of highlights in my career, a lot of great times of my career, but this was by far the best. It really was.
Michael Chandler: (25:11)
The pressure, the lights, the platform, the pay-per-view, the names, the everything, it was just huge. You couldn’t have scripted a better chapter in, in my career. Now a new chapter, a blank canvas, a masterpiece that I can paint, that every single day, painting a new brush stroke, so my son Hap can see it some day and know that his dad did everything that he possibly could with the talents that he was given. And that’s just the way that I felt.(25:36)
I just say, “Thank you, God. Thank you, Jesus, for this opportunity.” I’ve said it 1,000 times on the way there. And the fight happened, how it happened. And here we are. I’ll see at the top.
Interviewer 2: (25:47)
My last question is … You just mentioned your son, and it’s his birthday. It was yesterday, but it’s still his birthday in America. Was that a gift you want to give him?
Michael Chandler: (25:56)
Yeah. Yeah, I think so. I mean, the thing that I want to give him the most is my time, my love, my me being there. And it’s painful at times. It’s tough. It’s tough being away from him, but he will know without a shadow of a doubt that every man has to work, and what we do with our life can impact people. It can change people’s lives. It can help people fight the fights that they’re going through. And he will see this masterpiece that I’m painting. And he’ll know that even though his dad wasn’t there all the time, and yes, I missed a birthday or we’re away from each other for short periods of time, that I was out there pursuing God’s best for my life. And he will in turn, do that someday. And that kid is going to speak to nations. (26:41)
He’s going to change his generation. He is going to lead his generation, I promise you that. And I just hope that I can lead lead by example. And it was a phenomenal, phenomenal night. And I can’t wait to get on that plane and get back home.
Interviewer 3: (26:57)
Michael, here, here. Hey, I don’t know if you follow these type of things, but [Patricia Pitchable 00:00:27:04] posted a message for you, calling you his son, but he also said that you will be the next champion of the UFC. What do you make of this comments of Patricia?
Michael Chandler: (27:17)I will.
Interviewer 3: (27:21)He said it even before your fight today.
Michael Chandler: (27:25)I will.
Interviewer 3: (27:28)
And next thing, I know you, one step at a time, you probably will fight for a title. But in your future, do you think about going after the champ status at some point?
Michael Chandler: (27:41)
If the opportunity presents itself. I’ll tell you what, there’s a lot of great fights in this organization. I mean, this is the Mecca of great fights. There’s a ton of great fights. I am by no means a welterweight. I definitely can make featherweight, but I am by no means a welterweight height. One 55 is the perfect weight class for me. I feel good there. The weight is not the easiest to make, so I’d love to find some guys at one 70. I’d love to test my hand at welterweight, but it’s got to be the right guy. There’s a BMF belt out there. There’s the possible welterweight belt, if I ever did go up, but it’s got to be right fights.(28:26)
There’s no shortage of great fights in this lightweight division. I mean, look at the guys that fought tonight. So, we’ll see. One 55 is where I need to be, where I like to be, where I want to capture my first title. And then we’ll go from there.
Interviewer 3: (28:38)
And you have been training with GIlbert Burns. What can you say about his chance against Kamaru Usman?
Michael Chandler: (28:43)
He is the man, man. Gilbert Burns lives it, inside the gym, outside the gym. Family man, great human being. I think you’re going to see Gilbert Burns as the next champion. I think where he’s at mentally, where he’s at physically, he is a large human being. The fact that he ever made one 55 is … it blows my mind.(29:10)
We worked together for this fight. He had a lot of insight on Dan Hooker. He’s the best technician on the ground, in the world, in my opinion. Power in both hands. I can’t wait to see that fight. Obviously, Kamaru Usman, is a friend of mine, former teammate, but I believe Gilbert Burns will be able to get that done.
Interviewer 4: (29:32)
I just asked Dana White if your UFC debut was the most impressive one he’s ever seen. And he said that he can’t think of a better one. I’m sure you were very much prepared for this fight, but did you really at any stage expect this scenario?
Michael Chandler: (29:46)
Man, at this point, you got to stop second-guessing God’s best for your life. You do. Like, “Well, maybe I don’t deserve it. Maybe it’ll be a lackluster performance.” Hey, Eddie lost his first fight. He still became champion. All these things that human beings go through. We all go through these crazy thoughts. (30:01)
Why not just let it fly? Why not just believe that you are the best in the world. Why not just believe that you can accomplish great things? So you couldn’t have scripted it any better.(30:10)
Listen to Dana say that, saying me and Dustin possibly for the title next. Who knows? Like, even the fact that I’m getting talked about next fight being for the title. That being said, that’s great news.(30:23)
UFC debut. I wanted to come in here and do something great. The word of the week was always remarkable, or spectacular, or whatever the word was, that everybody wanted to see. One of them cool adjectives. But that’s what I go for every single fight.(30:38)
I’ve never been in a boring fight. I’ve lost some fights, but they were always exciting. So couldn’t have scripted it any better. I took zero damage. We live to fight another day, and can’t wait to get back in there. I can’t wait to get out there, celebrate my team, and then also talk to the UFC brass and see what is about to happen. Maybe we can get [Khabib 00:30:55] on the phone. We’ll see.
Interviewer 4: (30:57)Congratulations.
Michael Chandler: (30:58)Thank you.
Interviewer 5: (31:01)Michael, to your left here. How many times did you rehearse the Ric Flair [inaudible 00:00:31:06]?
Michael Chandler: (31:08)
I thought about it a couple of times. So, the origination of that was actually DC and Ariel talking about why I was in the video game. Ariel said I shouldn’t have been in the video game. I hadn’t fought in the UFC yet. And DC was like, “Well, yeah, but he’s Ric Flair.” He came over from WCW, and he got the title shot right away. Everybody was mad, but he’s Ric Flair. So kind of funny, (31:28)
I’m actually not the biggest WWE pro wrestling guy, but it was the best day of my professional career. I didn’t do the whole tear-in-my-eye thing. I thought that was a little over-the-top. And then the call-outs came after that.
Interviewer 5: (31:42)
You say it’s the best day of your career, but you’re a three-time Bellator Lightweight Champion. Do you think that is the best day of your career? Because obviously, as we talked about in the buildup, there were people that were doubting your legitimacy and obviously, you [inaudible 00:31:57] size them in [inaudible 00:31:58] fashion.
Michael Chandler: (31:59)
Yeah. Listen, I mean, it depends on what you fight for. Do you fight for money? Do you fight for cars, glitz, glam? Do you fight because you like to fight and inflict harm on people? (32:09)
I think I like all of those things in moderation, or to a certain extent. But the biggest thing that I want to do with this career, with the talents that God has given me, is be on the biggest stage, the biggest platform, to have the loudest voice possible. (32:24)
It doesn’t get any better than the co-main event, sharing the octagon right before Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier go out there, two of the most electrifying lightweights on the planet. It doesn’t get any bigger than that. I can’t wait to see the numbers. (32:36)
Every single one of those people saw my fight. It wasn’t the first fight of the night and people were just kind of, “Maybe I’ll buy it. Maybe I won’t.” It was the co-main event. I was warming up the octagon for two of the baddest dudes, two of the biggest superstars on the planet. It doesn’t get any bigger than that platform. (32:51)
So yes, best day of my professional career, because I was able to have this voice, have this platform, have this opportunity.
Interviewer 5: (32:58)
And what’s been the reaction from the friends and family? Your phone must just be blowing up right now. Right?
Michael Chandler: (33:02)
It is. I haven’t talked to anybody besides my wife. Called her right away. She was in tears. She’s proud of me. I would not be sitting here today, doing what I’m able to do without that woman, her support, her selflessness, her sacrifice. She’s a career woman herself. So she’s working a full-time job, getting extra degrees, becoming a doctor, taking care of our son, taking out the trash, doing all the stuff that I should be doing. So, can’t wait to get on that plane and go see her. But phone’s blowing up. Social media is blowing up, obviously. So it’s great. This is just part of the ride. And here we go, heading to the top.
Interviewer 5: (33:38)
Finally, you were eyeing them during the media date. Do you want another brownie? I saved one for you, because [crosstalk 00:12:42]-
Michael Chandler: (33:42)Oh, my gosh. Yes, I do. You have a brownie right now?
Interviewer 5: (33:45)Yes, I do.
Michael Chandler: (33:45)All right. Consider it my-
Interviewer 5: (33:46)It was my last one. I-
Michael Chandler: (33:49)You’re a swell guy. You are a swell guy. Thank you.
Interviewer 5: (33:52)I wish my fiance thought that.
Michael Chandler: (33:53)Yeah.
Interviewer 6: (33:56)
Mike, over here to your left. You’ve talked a lot about what you think a fight with Habib would look like. But if you end up fighting Dustin, what do you think that fight looks like?
Michael Chandler: (34:05)
Listen, as I said, as a human being, I think Dustin Poirier … you don’t get any better than that. Also, just his story, where he came from. He’s like every other young kid from a small town, who had some rough patches and wasn’t quite sure where the direction in life he was going to go. And now look at him, look where he’s at. Look what he’s done. Look what he’s accomplished. It’s nothing short of amazing. Dustin Poirier is a fight that I think is a great matchup for me. I think it’s a fight that fans want to see. I mean, at this point, now that I’m finally a UFC fighter, now that I’m finally a guy who’s got a win in the octagon, a guy who kind of can say, “Hey, I’m one of the guys now.” I think the fans are like, “Okay, now I want to see that Chandler guy fight again.” And why not Dustin Poirier? (34:56)
Respect him in every sense of the word, and in businesses business. We go out there, we touch gloves. And then we collect our paychecks, and we go take care of our families.
Interviewer 6: (35:06)
And last thing. You mentioned you are a UFC fighter now,[crosstalk 00:14:09].
Michael Chandler: (35:09)Finally.
Interviewer 6: (35:11)
Can you just describe what the experience was like, compared to obviously past experiences in your fighting career, fighting in this venue, the environment, Bruce Buffer intro-ing you, and just all those things?
Michael Chandler: (35:23)
The Bruce Buffer thing, that was something that my … I roomed with my best friend and manager, Randall, this whole week. And this morning, we’re going over the … He does a great Bruce Buffer impression, so we were just going over that. And it was surreal, but it was also, it helped me visualize, it helped me see everything. It helped me be in that octagon before I got there. The whole experience has been nothing short of amazing.(35:54)
That first trip to Abu Dhabi was great, because I got to meet everybody, all my coworkers, and all the people I’m going to spending time with for the next five years, or whatever, the remainder of my career. And it’s been great, obviously. Everything is just much bigger.(36:11)
I’ve been competing at a high level for a long time, but everything is just much bigger here. This is a well-oiled machine. And the organization of the UFC, what they’re doing on a worldwide stage is just … it’s great to be a part of it. Glad to intro myself on this stage, get that first round knockout. And man, it’s kind of surreal that this whole thing is over now. And I’m about to hop on the plane, and we got the win.(36:35)
You always visualize this this moment, and it’s kind of just hitting you, so it’s great
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