Michael Chandler

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Michael Chandler
Chandler in 2023
Born (1986-04-24) April 24, 1986 (age 37)
High Ridge, Missouri, U.S.
Other namesIron
ResidenceNashville, Tennessee, U.S.
Height5 ft 8 in (173 cm)
Weight156 lb (71 kg; 11 st 2 lb)
DivisionWelterweight (2010–2011)
Lightweight (2011–present)
Reach71 in (180 cm)[1]
StyleWrestling
Fighting out ofDeerfield Beach, Florida, U.S.
TeamXtreme Couture (2009–2012)[2][3]
Alliance MMA (2012–2015)[3][4]
Power MMA (2015–2016)[5]
Blackzilians (2016–2017)[6]
Kill Cliff FC (2017–present)[7]
Nashville MMA (2018–present)[8]
WrestlingNCAA Division I Wrestling[9]
Years active2009–present
Mixed martial arts record
Total31
Wins23
By knockout11
By submission7
By decision5
Losses8
By knockout4
By submission1
By decision3
UniversityUniversity of Missouri[10]
Websitemichaelchandler.com
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog
Medal record
Collegiate Wrestling
Representing the Missouri Tigers
Big 12 Championships
Silver medal – second place 2008 Stillwater 157 lb
Silver medal – second place 2009 Lincoln 157 lb

Michael Chandler (born April 24, 1986) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional competitor since 2009, Chandler first gained notoriety while competing for Bellator MMA, an organization he competed in from 2010 through 2020. There, Chandler became a three-time Bellator Lightweight Champion and was the winner of the Bellator Season Four Lightweight Tournament. As of March 12, 2024, he is #6 in the UFC lightweight rankings.[11]

Background[edit]

Chandler was born and raised in High Ridge, Missouri, the second of four children to Michael Sr. and Betty Chandler. He is of German and Irish heritage. Chandler was on the honor roll every term in high school, received three letters in football, and finished as the runner–up at the MSHSAA State Championships as a senior in wrestling. He was voted the Most Valuable Wrestler during his senior season and was selected to the All-St. Louis Team.[12][13]

Upon graduating from Northwest High School in 2004, Chandler enrolled at the University of Missouri without an athletic scholarship, walking onto the school's wrestling squad. While at Missouri, Chandler was a four-time NCAA Division I qualifier, collected 100 career wins, as well as earning fifth place at NCAA's as a senior, earning DI All-American honors. Chandler earned runner–up honors in the 2008 and 2009 Big 12 Championships and was awarded automatic bids to three of the four NCAA Championships he competed in. Chandler compiled a 31–15 record against Big 12 opponents and a 100–40 overall record in his four years as a starter.[12] He majored in personal finance management services with a minor in real estate.[13] He also built a close relationship with two–time Dan Hodge Trophy winner and eventual Bellator MMA World Champion Ben Askren and two–time All–American and eventual UFC Welterweight Champion Tyron Woodley.[14]

Mixed martial arts career[edit]

Immediately after his wrestling career was over, Chandler began training mixed martial arts at Xtreme Couture. He opted out of competing as an amateur and in August 2009, Chandler made his professional MMA debut with a first-round TKO victory over Kyle Swadley.[15]

Strikeforce[edit]

Chandler made his Strikeforce debut on November 20, 2009, at Strikeforce Challengers: Woodley vs. Bears where he fought Richard Bouphanouvong, He won the bout via technical knockout in the second round.[16]

His next fight in the promotion took place on May 15, 2010, at Strikeforce: Heavy Artillery where he fought Sal Wood.[17] He won the bout via submission in under a minute.[18]

Bellator MMA[edit]

Chandler made his Bellator debut on September 30, 2010, at Bellator 31, where he defeated Scott Stapp via technical knockout in the first round.[19] The match was contested at a catchweight for Chandler to test himself for the lightweight division, all his previous bouts being in the welterweight division.[20]

In his next Bellator appearance, Chandler competed on the Bellator 32 card on October 14, 2010, against Chris Page in a welterweight contest. He won the bout via submission in the first round.[21]

Bellator Season 4 Lightweight Tournament[edit]

In February 2011, it was announced that Chandler would be a part of the Bellator Season Four Lightweight Tournament.[22] In the opening round of the tournament, Chandler faced Marcin Held, at Bellator 36 on March 12, 2011.[23] He won the contest via technical submission after choking Held unconscious with an arm-triangle choke. The win moved Chandler into the semi-finals.[24]

Chandler then faced Lloyd Woodard at Bellator 40 and won via unanimous decision to move onto the finals of the tournament.[25]

The tournament final took place at Bellator 44 where Chandler faced Patricky Pitbull.[26] He utilized his wrestling skills, repeatedly taking down Freire and controlling the fight. He defeated Freire via unanimous decision to win $100,000 and a shot at the Bellator Lightweight World Championship.[27]

Lightweight Championship[edit]

Chandler was expected to compete against Eddie Alvarez for the Bellator Lightweight World Championship at Bellator 54 on October 15, 2011.[28] However, Alvarez suffered an undisclosed injury forcing the bout to be postponed.[29] The bout was then rescheduled to take place on November 19, 2011, at Bellator 58.[30] Chandler defeated Eddie Alvarez via submission in the fourth round.[31]

In his first fight after winning the title, Chandler faced Akihiro Gono in a non-title superfight at Bellator 67 on May 4, 2012.[32] He won the match via technical knockout at just 56 seconds into the first round.[33]

Chandler made the first defense of his title against Bellator Season Six Lightweight Tournament Winner Rick Hawn, on January 17, 2013, at Bellator 85.[34] He won the bout via submission in the second round.[35]

Chandler was set to make his second defense against Bellator Season Seven Lightweight Tournament Winner Dave Jansen June 19, 2013, at Bellator 96.[36] However, on June 2, it was announced that Jansen had pulled out of the bout due to an injury[37] and faced David Rickels at Bellator 97 instead.[38] He won the bout via knockout in the first round.[39]

Title loss and return[edit]

A rematch with Eddie Alvarez took place on November 2, 2013, in the main event of Bellator 106.[40] He lost the match by split decision.[41]

A third fight with Alvarez was set up for the main event of Bellator 120 on May 17, 2014.[42] However, a week before the bout, it was announced that Alvarez had suffered a concussion and was forced to pull out of the fight.[43] Chandler instead faced Will Brooks for the interim lightweight title.[44] He lost the back-and-forth bout by split decision.[45]

With Bellator Lightweight Champion Eddie Alvarez leaving the promotion, Chandler faced Will Brooks in a rematch on November 15, 2014, at Bellator 131 for the vacant lightweight title.[46] He lost the bout via technical knockout in the fourth round.[47]

Chandler faced Derek Campos on June 19, 2015, at Bellator 138.[48] After a dominant start on the feet, including a knockdown, he won the match via submission in the first round.[49]

Chandler rematched David Rickels on November 6, 2015, at Bellator 145.[50] He won the bout via technical knockout in the second round.[51]

Second title reign[edit]

In May 2016, Bellator MMA president Scott Coker announced that Chandler would rematch Patricky Pitbull on June 17, 2016, at Bellator 157, now for the vacant Bellator Lightweight Championship.[52] He regained the title after knocking Pitbull out in the first round.[53]

In his first title defense, Chandler faced former UFC Lightweight Champion Benson Henderson on November 19, 2016, in the main event of Bellator 165.[54] He won the back-and-forth bout via split decision.[55]

In his second title defense, Chandler faced Brent Primus on June 24, 2017, at Bellator NYC.[56] In the first round, the bout was temporarily halted by the referee to check on Chandler, whose left ankle was visibly injured. The bout was stopped in favor of Primus via technical knockout, earning him the Bellator Lightweight Championship.[57]

Post-title reign[edit]

Following the loss to Primus, Chandler remained out of action for the remainder of 2017. He made his return at Bellator 192 on January 20, 2018, against Goiti Yamauchi.[58] He won the fight by unanimous decision.[59]

In a rematch, Chandler was expected to challenge Brent Primus for the Bellator Lightweight Championship on April 13, 2018, at Bellator 197.[60] After Primus pulled out of the fight due to injury, Chandler faced Brandon Girtz on the same card.[61] He won the fight via technical submission in the first round.[62]

In late June 2018, reports surfaced that Chandler's contract with Bellator would expire imminently, making him a free agent.[63] On August 22, 2018, it was announced that Chandler had re-signed a new, exclusive multi-fight contract with Bellator MMA.[64]

Third title reign[edit]

Chandler's anticipated rematch with Brent Primus took place on December 14, 2018, at Bellator 212.[65] Chandler dominated the majority of the fight by out-wrestling Primus, ultimately defeating him by unanimous decision and regaining the Bellator Lightweight World title in the process.[66]

In the first defense of his new title, Chandler faced Patrício Pitbull on May 11, 2019, in the main event of Bellator 221.[67] He lost the fight via technical knockout in the first round.[68]

On October 25, 2019, it was announced that Chandler would return to cage to rematch Benson Henderson at Bellator & Rizin: Japan on December 29, 2019.[69] However, Henderson was forced to withdraw from the bout citing an injury and was replaced by Sidney Outlaw in an 160 pounds catchweight bout.[70] He defeated Outlaw via knockout in the first round.[71]

A rematch with Benson Henderson was rescheduled to take place at Bellator 244 on June 6, 2020.[72] However, the event was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic[73] and eventually took place on August 7, 2020, at Bellator 243.[74] He won the fight via knockout in the first round.[75]

In August 2020 it was reported that Chandler was a free agent following his victory at Bellator 243.[76]

Ultimate Fighting Championship[edit]

On September 17, 2020, it was announced that Chandler had signed a contract with the UFC and served as a backup for a title bout between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Justin Gaethje at UFC 254.[77]

Chandler made his promotional debut against Dan Hooker at UFC 257 on January 24, 2021.[78] He won the fight via technical knockout in the first round.[79] This win earned him the Performance of the Night award.[80]

Chandler faced long–time veteran Charles Oliveira for the vacant UFC Lightweight Championship, following former champion Khabib Nurmagomedov's retirement, while headlining UFC 262 on May 15, 2021.[81] Despite having success in the first round and nearly finishing Oliveira, Chandler lost the fight via technical knockout early in the second round.[82]

Chandler faced former UFC Interim Lightweight Champion Justin Gaethje at UFC 268 on November 6, 2021.[83] After a back-and-forth fight, Chandler lost the bout via unanimous decision.[84] This bout earned the Fight of the Night award.[85] The bout was also regarded as the Fight of the Year by the UFC and various mixed martial arts media outlets.[86][87][88][89][90][91][92][93][94]

Chandler faced former UFC Interim Lightweight Champion Tony Ferguson on May 7, 2022, at UFC 274.[95] He won the fight in the second round after knocking out Ferguson with a front kick.[96] The win earned Chandler his second Performance of the Night bonus award.[97] It also earned him the second place Crypto.com "Fan Bonus of the Night" award.[98]

Chandler faced former UFC Interim Lightweight Champion Dustin Poirier on November 12, 2022, at UFC 281.[99] He lost the fight via a rear-naked choke submission in the third round.[100] This fight earned him the Fight of the Night award.[101]

Chandler coached The Ultimate Fighter 31 against Conor McGregor.[102]

Personal life[edit]

Chandler started dating Brie Willett in 2013 after emailing for almost two years. Subsequently, they got married in 2014.[103] The couple grew their family through adoption in 2017, welcoming their son Hap.[104] In April 2022, their second adoptive son Ace was born.[105]

Chandler owns Training Camp, a fitness and MMA gym in Nashville.[106]

Championships and awards[edit]

Mixed martial arts[edit]

Amateur wrestling[edit]

Mixed martial arts record[edit]

Professional record breakdown
31 matches 23 wins 8 losses
By knockout 11 4
By submission 7 1
By decision 5 3
Res. Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes
Loss 23–8 Dustin Poirier Submission (rear-naked choke) UFC 281 November 12, 2022 3 2:00 New York City, New York, United States Fight of the Night.
Win 23–7 Tony Ferguson KO (front kick) UFC 274 May 7, 2022 2 0:17 Phoenix, Arizona, United States Performance of the Night.
Loss 22–7 Justin Gaethje Decision (unanimous) UFC 268 November 6, 2021 3 5:00 New York City, New York, United States Fight of the Night. Fight of the Year (2021).
Loss 22–6 Charles Oliveira TKO (punches) UFC 262 May 15, 2021 2 0:19 Houston, Texas, United States For the vacant UFC Lightweight Championship.
Win 22–5 Dan Hooker TKO (punches) UFC 257 January 24, 2021 1 2:30 Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Performance of the Night. Debut of the Year (2021).
Win 21–5 Benson Henderson KO (punches) Bellator 243 August 7, 2020 1 2:09 Uncasville, Connecticut, United States
Win 20–5 Sidney Outlaw KO (punches) Bellator 237 December 29, 2019 1 2:59 Saitama, Japan Catchweight (160 lb) bout.
Loss 19–5 Patrício Pitbull TKO (punches) Bellator 221 May 11, 2019 1 1:01 Rosemont, Illinois, United States Lost the Bellator Lightweight World Championship.
Win 19–4 Brent Primus Decision (unanimous) Bellator 212 December 14, 2018 5 5:00 Honolulu, Hawaii, United States Won the Bellator Lightweight World Championship.
Win 18–4 Brandon Girtz Technical Submission (arm-triangle choke) Bellator 197 April 13, 2018 1 4:00 St. Charles, Missouri, United States
Win 17–4 Goiti Yamauchi Decision (unanimous) Bellator 192 January 20, 2018 3 5:00 Inglewood, California, United States
Loss 16–4 Brent Primus TKO (doctor stoppage) Bellator NYC June 24, 2017 1 2:22 New York City, New York, United States Lost the Bellator Lightweight World Championship.
Win 16–3 Benson Henderson Decision (split) Bellator 165 November 19, 2016 5 5:00 San Jose, California, United States Defended the Bellator Lightweight World Championship.
Win 15–3 Patricky Pitbull KO (punch) Bellator 157: Dynamite 2 June 24, 2016 1 2:14 St. Louis, Missouri, United States Won the vacant Bellator Lightweight World Championship.
Win 14–3 David Rickels TKO (punches) Bellator 145 November 6, 2015 2 3:05 St. Louis, Missouri, United States
Win 13–3 Derek Campos Submission (rear-naked choke) Bellator 138 June 19, 2015 1 2:17 St. Louis, Missouri, United States
Loss 12–3 Will Brooks TKO (punches) Bellator 131 November 15, 2014 4 3:48 San Diego, California, United States For the vacant Bellator Lightweight World Championship.
Loss 12–2 Will Brooks Decision (split) Bellator 120 May 17, 2014 5 5:00 Southaven, Mississippi, United States For the interim Bellator Lightweight World Championship.
Loss 12–1 Eddie Alvarez Decision (split) Bellator 106 November 2, 2013 5 5:00 Long Beach, California, United States Lost the Bellator Lightweight World Championship.
Win 12–0 David Rickels KO (punches) Bellator 97 July 31, 2013 1 0:44 Rio Rancho, New Mexico, United States Defended the Bellator Lightweight World Championship.
Win 11–0 Rick Hawn Submission (rear-naked choke) Bellator 85 January 17, 2013 2 3:07 Irvine, California, United States Defended the Bellator Lightweight World Championship.
Win 10–0 Akihiro Gono TKO (punches) Bellator 67 May 4, 2012 1 0:56 Rama, Ontario, Canada Non-title bout.
Win 9–0 Eddie Alvarez Submission (rear-naked choke) Bellator 58 November 19, 2011 4 3:06 Hollywood, Florida, United States Won the Bellator Lightweight World Championship Fight of the Year (2011).
Win 8–0 Patricky Pitbull Decision (unanimous) Bellator 44 May 14, 2011 3 5:00 Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States Won the Bellator Season 4 Lightweight Tournament.
Win 7–0 Lloyd Woodard Decision (unanimous) Bellator 40 April 9, 2011 3 5:00 Newkirk, Oklahoma, United States Bellator Season 4 Lightweight Tournament Semifinal.
Win 6–0 Marcin Held Technical Submission (arm-triangle choke) Bellator 36 March 12, 2011 1 3:56 Shreveport, Louisiana, United States Lightweight debut. Bellator Season 4 Lightweight Tournament Quarterfinal.
Win 5–0 Chris Page Submission (standing guillotine choke) Bellator 32 October 14, 2010 1 0:57 Kansas City, Missouri, United States Catchweight (165 lb) bout.
Win 4–0 Scott Stapp TKO (punches) Bellator 31 September 30, 2010 1 1:57 Lake Charles, Louisiana, United States Catchweight (165 lb) bout.
Win 3–0 Sal Woods Submission (rear-naked choke) Strikeforce: Heavy Artillery May 15, 2010 1 0:59 St. Louis, Missouri, United States
Win 2–0 Richard Bouphanouvong TKO (punches) Strikeforce Challengers: Woodley vs. Bears November 20, 2009 2 2:07 Kansas City, Kansas, United States Catchweight (165 lb) bout.
Win 1–0 Kyle Swadley TKO (punches) First Blood August 8, 2009 1 3:30 Lake Ozark, Missouri, United States Welterweight debut.

[124]

Pay-per-view bouts[edit]

No. Event Fight Date Venue City PPV Buys
1. UFC 262 Oliveira vs. Chandler May 15, 2021 Toyota Center Houston, Texas, United States 300,000[125]

NCAA record[edit]

NCAA Championships Matches
Res. Record Opponent Score Date Event
2009 NCAA Championships 5th at 157 lbs[126]
Win 10–8 Matt Moley 2–1 March 19–21, 2009 2009 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships
Loss 9–8 Gregor Gillespie MD 2–10
Win 9–7 Tyler Safratowich MD 13–5
Win 8–7 Jonny Bonilla-Bowman 6–5
Loss 7–7 Jordan Leen 2–4
Win 7–6 Chase Pami 6–0
Win 6–6 Kurt Kinser 4–3
2008 NCAA Championships at 157 lbs[127]
Loss 5–6 Brandon Becker 2–8 March 20–22, 2008 2008 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships
Loss 5–5 Michael Poeta 3–7
Win 5–4 Cyler Sanderson 5–3
Win 4–4 Dave Nakasone 5–3
2007 NCAA Championships at 157 lbs[128]
Loss 3–4 Ryan Hluschak 5–10 March 15–17, 2007 2007 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships
Win 3–3 Chris Oliver MD 11–2
Win 2–3 Tyler Shirley Fall
Loss 1–3 Bubba Jenkins MD 3–15
2006 NCAA Championships at 157 lbs[129]
Loss 1–2 Brandon Becker 4–10 March 16–18, 2006 2006 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships
Loss 1–1 Ben Cherrington 1–8
Win 1–0 Matt Lebe 3–2

See also[edit]

References[edit]

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