[autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag] could very well find himself in a different promotion in the near future.
The former Bellator lightweight champion and current top contender is on the verge of free agency as he nears the end of his latest Bellator contract. Chandler (20-5 MMA, 17-5 BMMA) has one fight left on his deal. He was slated to complete the final fight in a rematch against Benson Henderson on June 6, but the fight was put on ice as company canceled Bellator 244 due to coronavirus concerns.
It seems Chandler wants to stay with Bellator, but he doesn’t discard the idea of fighting under a different banner.
“I’ve been very vocal about it: I would love to retire a Bellator fighter,” Chandler told MMA Junkie Radio. “I would love to be the guy who started with the organization in 2010 and retired from the organization however many years from now. But if that’s not in the cards, that’s not in the cards. This is a business, and I have my people to take care of, and that’s my wife and my son. We’ll make the best decision possible, but there’s no doubt there’s a lot of buzz out here when it comes to fantasy matchups and all that kind of stuff. So I just let the fans talk and let my fighting do the talking inside of the cage.”
Chandler has logged 22 fights with Bellator and has become one of their most well-known homegrown figures. The 34-year-old believes he can still offer plenty to Bellator given his long tenure with the company and fighting style.
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In a recent interview with MMA Junkie, Bellator president Scott Coker said his team will have to asses Chandler’s ratings and numbers before putting together a new deal.
“I’m always one of the marque guys on the cards,” Chandler said. “I do put butts in seats, I do have a large stable of deep-seated fanbase and that looks at me somewhat of that underground fighter – that guy that people watch specifically because they know I do it for the love of the game. They know I do it because I love inflicting harm on people, I love going out there and getting into a fist-fight. And (Coker) made his comments, and I stand by my worth.
“I know I go out there and put on a great show, and he’s the promoter and they’re the promotion; it’s his job to promote, so that goes both ways. I can’t be held accountable for numbers and buys on seats 100 percent, solely on my back. We have to have the promotion doing the promotion, and the fighters doing the fighting.”
Coker also noted Chandler’s age during his interview. The Sanford MMA product says he’s in the best shape of his career, and doesn’t plan to slow down any time soon.
“I feel the best I’ve ever been,” Chandler said. “Scott Coker alluded to the fact that I’m not 21 anymore, but I also wasn’t a fighter at 21. I didn’t start fighting until I was 22, 23 years old. I feel like I’ve done nothing but improved and get better since I turned even 30, even now as a mature man, as a father and a family man who’s got lot more to fight for the I did back in the day. Man, I feel like everything is lining it’s self up to make the right decision for me and my family.”
Chandler mentioned the UFC, ONE Championship and PFL as promotions that have been on his radar. He says his decision will be based on a combination of factors including, but not limited to, financial and competition considerations.
“Truthfully, the decision rests solely on my shoulders and me making the best decision for myself and my family,” Chandler explained. “I think I’m going to (go elsewhere), or Bellator makes that decision for me, and they make it easy for me. So we’ll see.”
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