For years, Michael
Chandler was the unofficial face of Bellator MMA.
Even as he enjoyed multiple reigns as the California-based
promotion’s lightweight champ, he couldn’t help but consider what
it might be like to square off against the UFC’s best at 155
pounds. On Saturday, Chandler showed what he could do in front what
was likely a massive pay-per-view audience, as he defeated Top 10
lightweight Dan Hooker
via first-round technical knockout in the UFC 257 co-main
event.
“I spent 12 years outside of this company thinking about this
possibility, thinking about these matchups, thinking about fighting
the best guys in the world. Now I’m here,” Chandler said. “I’m
going to be ranked inside the Top 5 now, that might knock Conor out
of No. 4, maybe put me on No. 3 or 4… I have no idea where the
rankings are going to go, doesn’t really matter. Anybody can get a
title shot as long as they are in the Top 5, Top 10 actually, so…
Just feeling great.
“Pure elation, tons of hard work ever since I was 14 years old,
wrestling in Missouri all the way to becoming All-American,
fighting outside the UFC and now winning my first fight in the UFC,
getting a spectacular knockout… Just trying to be remarkable.”
Chandler delivered a message against Hooker at Etihad Arena in Abu
Dhabi. The former University of Missouri wrestler closed the
distance quickly and floored his opponent with a left hook before
forcing the stoppage with follow-up blows on the canvas 2:30 into
Round 1. Hooker never had a chance to get out of first gear.
“We have a very simple but pressure-filled kickboxing style down in
Florida led by Henri Hooft. Very technical. He could teach us a
thousand techniques but mainly he just keeps it simple, keeps it
absolutely simple,” Chandler said. “I know guys are going to evade
me. I know guys are going to get on their back foot, on their
bicycle, because they’ve seen the power of my hands, they’ve seen
my highlights. Just because I haven’t been in the UFC, doesn’t mean
they haven’t seen my power on the internet.
“Dan Hooker said the same thing. He took this fight without
watching a lot of film on me, started watching films and realized
‘Ok, this guy is a force to be reckoned with’, put himself on his
bicycle and I knew it was just a matter of time. We train it all
the time. I knew that step over right hand, left hook was going to
land – it’s landed on taller guys before – he does evade, he takes
for granted his long reach. I just had to get inside, clip him with
it, put him out.”
Fighting on a Conor
McGregor event figures to only boost Chandler’s stock that much
more.
“When guys come into the UFC for the first time, they usually have
a rough first time on the big stage. He didn’t,” UFC president Dana
White said of Chandler. “It almost seemed like Hooker froze in that
first round and Chandler was just all over him and put on an
incredible performance. When you get the platform we had tonight,
you make the most of it. And that kid did.”
Chandler has earned numerous significant victories under the
Bellator MMA banner, from Benson
Henderson to Patricky
Freire to Eddie
Alvarez, but he can’t think of any moment in his career that
tops his latest triumph.
“It’s got to be No. 1,” he said. “I’ve had some more spectacular,
more awesome, more cool-looking ones, but to do it on this stage,
co-main event of this card in Abu Dhabi, debut in the UFC, a week
where everybody wants to see something spectacular, something
remarkable… you’ve got to put that at No. 1.”
At the moment, it appears highly unlikely that Khabib
Nurmagomedov will come back to defend his lightweight crown one
more time. If the 155-pond belt is vacated, Chandler appears to
have put himself on the short list of top contenders. Already,
however, Dustin
Poirier has said he isn’t interested in an immediate showdown
with the impressive newcomer.
Chandler himself isn’t making any demands just yet.
“I don’t deserve to necessarily be calling any shots right now. I
have one win in the UFC, albeit it was over a top opponent —
first-round knockout,” he said. “You just had Dustin finish Conor,
we have Khabib not quite sure if he is coming back… I’m not here to
call shots. I’m here to capture I’m here to capture that UFC gold …
I’m just excited about what’s next.”