Tag: Michael Chandler

Bellator 243 pre-event facts: The many records of Michael Chandler

Check out all the facts and figures about Bellator 243, which takes place Friday with a Michael Chandler vs. Benson Henderson main event.

Bellator puts on its second event since returning from a coronavirus-induced hiatus on Friday with Bellator 243, which takes place at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The card airs on Paramount and streams on DAZN.

A high-stakes lightweight rematch goes down in the main event. After former multi-time Bellator champ [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag] (20-5 MMA, 17-5 BMMA) won the first fight by split decision in November 2016, [autotag]Benson Henderson[/autotag] (28-8 MMA, 5-3 BMMA) will get a shot at redemption as he attempts to continue his best winning streak in years.

For more on the numbers behind the headliner, as well as the rest of the card, check below for 30 pre-event facts about Bellator 243.

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Main event

Michael Chandler

Chandler competes in his 23rd Bellator bout, tied with David Rickels for the most appearances in company history.

Chandler has earned 15 of his 20 career victories by stoppage. That includes 12 of his 17 Bellator wins.

Chandler’s 17 victories in Bellator competition are second most in company history behind Patricio Freire (18).

Chandler’s 14 victories in Bellator lightweight competition are tied with Patricky Freire for most in divisional history.

Chandler’s 12 stoppage victories in Bellator competition are most in company history.

Chandler’s nine stoppage victories in Bellator lightweight competition are tied with Patricky Freire for most in divisional history.

Chandler’s six submission victories in Bellator competition are tied for second most in company history behind Goiti Yamauchi (eight).

Chandler’s 11 appearances in Bellator title fights are most in company history.

Chandler is one of three fighters in Bellator/UFC/WEC/PRIDE/Strikeforce history with three title reigns in a single weight class. Randy Couture and Douglas Lima also accomplished the feat.

Chandler’s six victories in Bellator championship fights are second most in company history behind Freire (eight).

Chandler’s five losses in Bellator title fights are the most in company history.

Benson Henderson

Henderson is a former UFC and WEC lightweight champion. He’s 0-2 in Bellator title fights.

Henderson is 5-2 since he returned to the lightweight division in August 2016.

Henderson’s four-fight Bellator winning streak in lightweight competition is the second longest active streak in the division behind Patricky Freire (five).

Henderson’s four-fight MMA winning streak is his longest since 2011.

Co-main event

Matt Mitrione

[autotag]Matt Mitrione[/autotag] (13-7 MMA, 4-2 BMMA), 42, is the oldest of the eight scheduled main-card fighters.

Mitrione’s three-fight winless skid is the longest of his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since February 2018.

Mitrione vs. Kharitonov marked the third shortest no-contest in Bellator/UFC/WEC/Strikeforce/PRIDE combined history at just 15 seconds. Only Marius Zaromskis vs. Waachim Spiritwolf (6 seconds) at Strikeforce Challengers 12 and Kevin Casey vs. Antonio Carlos Junior (11 seconds) at UFC Fight Night 80 were faster.

All of Mitrione’s career bouts have taken place under the Bellator or UFC banners.

[autotag]Timothy Johnson[/autotag] (13-6 MMA, 1-2 BMMA) has earned 10 of his 13 career victories by stoppage.

Remaining main card

Myles Jury

[autotag]Myles Jury[/autotag] (18-5 MMA, 1-1 BMMA) is 1-1 since he returned to the lightweight division in September.

[autotag]Georgi Karakhanyan[/autotag] (29-10-1 MMA, 7-8 BMMA) was successful in his Bellator lightweight debut at Bellator 240 in February.

Karakhanyan is 1-2 since he returned to Bellator for a third stint in March 2019.

[autotag]Curtis Millender[/autotag] (18-5 MMA, 3-2 BMMA) was successful in his return to Bellator for a third stint with a win at Bellator 238 in January.

Spinning Back Clique: Does UFC or Bellator have the biggest main event this weekend?

Check out this week’s edition of “Spinning Back Clique,” which previews a dual event weekend and asks what’s next for Alexander Volkanovski.

Welcome to “Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly show that takes a spin through the biggest topics in mixed martial arts. This week, Simon Head hosts and is joined by MMA Junkie lead staff reporter John Morgan, as well as MMA Junkie Radio’s “Gorgeous” George and “Goze.”

SHOW TOPICS

  • Despite a huge experience advantage, [autotag]Derek Brunson[/autotag] was a big betting underdog at this past weekend’s UFC on ESPN+ 31 event. Still, the middleweight scored a big stoppage win over a previously undefeated [autotag]Edmen Shahbazyan[/autotag]. So for those that got it wrong, were we too quick to write off Brunson, or was Shabazyan’s hype not justified?
  • Dana White’s Contender Series is back on Tuesday, but it comes at a time when the entire sport is returning to live action. So with a crowded MMA landscape competing for fans’ attention, how well is the prospects-driven show doing entering its fourth season?
  • UFC featherweight champion [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] doesn’t seem too keen on a potential trilogy fight with former titleholder [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag], which is understandable since “Blessed” is winless in the two fights. However, UFC president Dana White isn’t ruling out the possibility. What’s the right move here?
  • After a lengthy hiatus, Bellator is now back in full swing, and this Friday the promotion is offering a tantalizing rematch between superstars [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag] and [autotag]Benson Henderson[/autotag]. Meanwhile the UFC counters Saturday night with a heavyweight clash between slugger [autotag]Derrick Lewis[/autotag] and submission master [autotag]Aleksei Oleinik[/autotag]. Which is the bigger fight?

For answers to all of those questions, watch Episode 40 of “Spinning Back Clique” above.

Bellator 243: Make your predictions for Michael Chandler vs. Benson Henderson

We want your predictions for Friday’s Bellator 243 event in Connecticut.

We want your predictions for Friday’s Bellator 243 event in Uncasville, Conn.

Our staff picks feature includes the consensus picks from MMA Junkie readers. Simply cast your vote for each bout below, and we’ll use the official tallies that are registered by Wednesday at noon ET (9 a.m. PT).

Those MMA Junkie reader consensus picks will be part of the Bellator 243 event staff predictions we release Thursday ahead of the event. Bellator 243 takes place Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The main card airs on Paramount following prelims on MMA Junkie.

Make your picks for all four main card fights inside:

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5, Page 6

Video: Michael Chandler, Benson Henderson sound off ahead of Bellator 243 rematch

Michael Chandler and Benson Henderson sound off as tensions rise ahead of their eagerly-anticipated rematch at Bellator 243.

Two of Bellator’s very best will go head to head in the main event of Bellator 243 on Aug. 7 and, just one week from fight night, [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag] and [autotag]Benson Henderson[/autotag] are all fired up and ready to go.

Three-time former Bellator lightweight champion Chandler (20-5 MMA, 17-5 BMMA) and former Bellator and UFC lightweight champ Henderson (28-8 MMA, 5-3 BMMA) are set to meet in an eagerly-anticipated rematch at the Mohegan Sun Arena next Friday night, and the pair checked in with play-by-play commentator Mike Goldberg to build the anticipation ahead of their pivotal lightweight fight.

The duo faced off at Bellator 165 in November 2016, when Chandler defeated Henderson via split decision to defend the promotion’s 155-pound strap in San Jose. As the result suggests, it was a super-close encounter, and now Henderson has the opportunity to avenge that defeat and put himself in pole position to challenge for the lightweight belt currently held by Brazil’s Patricio Freire.

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Chandler, meanwhile, plans on claiming a second successive victory over “Smooth” to position himself for a rematch with Freire, who stopped him in May last year to win the lightweight title.

Based on their three-way video call with Goldberg, both men are primed and ready for another epic encounter, with Chandler insisting the result will go his way once again, while Henderson vowed to come out fast after “giving away” the first round to his opponent in their first meeting.

Bellator 243 takes place Friday, Aug. 7 at Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, Conn. The main card will air live on Paramount and DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie.

Check out Chandler and Henderson’s split-screen interview with Goldberg via the video above.

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Michael Chandler vs. Benson Henderson 2, Matt Mitrione vs. Tim Johnson set for Bellator 243

The Bellator 243 lineup is starting to take form.

The Bellator 243 lineup is rolling out.

On Aug. 7, Bellator will head back to Mohegan Sun Arena for its second event since returning from hiatus due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Headlining the card will be a rematch between former Bellator lightweight champion [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag] and former UFC lightweight champion [autotag]Benson Henderson[/autotag].

Additionally, heavyweight contenders [autotag]Matt Mitrione[/autotag] and [autotag]Tim Johnson[/autotag] will square off in Uncasville, Conn.

Multiple sources informed MMA Junkie of the bookings Thursday but asked to remain anonymous since the promotion has yet to make an official announcement. Combate was first to report Chandler vs. Henderson 2.

Chandler (20-5 MMA, 17-5 BMMA) and Henderson (28-8 MMA, 5-3 UFC) first fought at Bellator 165 in November 2016. At the time, Chandler was Bellator’s 155-pound titleholder. After five rounds, the fight went to the judges’ scorecards, with Chandler declared the split decision winner.

Since their first meeting, Chandler has gone 4-1. His lone loss was an unsuccessful title defense against Patricio Freire. After losing his belt, Chandler defeated Sidney Outlaw by knockout last December.

As for Henderson, “Smooth” dropped a fight to Patricky Freire after losing to Chandler. He has since rattled off four straight victories.

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Mitrione (13-7 MMA, 4-2 BMMA) has gone 0-2 with a no contest in his past three fights. He was expected to fight Ronny Markes at Bellator 241 in March, however, the event was canceled just hours prior to its scheduled start time.

Johnson (13-6 MMA, 1-2 BMMA) is coming off a massive upset victory at Bellator 239 in February. Taking on undefeated prospect Tyrell Fortune, Johnson pulled off a highlight-reel first-round knockout via punches.

Bellator 243 takes place Friday, Aug. 7 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The main card is expected to simulcast on DAZN and Paramount Network after prelims on MMA Junkie.

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Video: 20 must-see Bellator ‘fire’ fights (in full)

If you’ve got nearly six hours to kill, here you go with some classic Bellator action.

Since its first event held in 2009, Bellator has given us some of the most memorable fights in MMA history.

While events remain on hold because of coronavirus pandemic, Bellator has put 20 of its greatest bouts – “fire” fights, if you will – all in one place, which you can watch in the video above.

The complete list, which goes for nearly six hours, includes:

  • 1. [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Eddie Alvarez[/autotag] 1 – Bellator 58 | 0:00
  • 2. [autotag]Joe Schilling[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Melvin Manhoef[/autotag] – Bellator 131 | 24:51
  • 3. [autotag]L.C. Davis[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Hideo Tokoro[/autotag] – Bellator 135 | 37:25
  • 4. Michael Chandler vs. [autotag]Benson Henderson[/autotag] – Bellator 165 | 55:41
  • 5. [autotag]Cris Cyborg[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Julia Budd[/autotag] – Bellator 238 | 1:31:16
  • 6. [autotag]Daniel Weichel[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Patricio Freire[/autotag] – Bellator 138 | 1:56:41
  • 7. [autotag]Henry Corrales[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Aaron Pico[/autotag] – Bellator 214 | 2:09:58
  • 8. [autotag]Anatoly Tokov[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Gerald Harris[/autotag] – Bellator 218 | 2:17:18
  • 9. [autotag]Derek Campos[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Brandon Girtz[/autotag] 3 – Bellator 181 | 2:29:29
  • 10. [autotag]Paul Daley[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Brennan Ward[/autotag] – Bellator 170 | 2:49:20
  • 11. [autotag]Douglas Lima[/autotag] vs. Paul Daley – Bellator 158 | 2:59:15
  • 12. Douglas Lima vs. [autotag]Michael Page[/autotag] – Bellator 221 | 3:18:09
  • 13. [autotag]Patricky Freire [/autotag]vs. [autotag]Roger Huerta[/autotag] – Bellator 205 | 3:33:28
  • 14. Patricio Freire vs. [autotag]Daniel Straus[/autotag] – Bellator 178 | 3:44:52
  • 15. [autotag]Saad Awad[/autotag] vs. Brandon Girtz – Bellator 219 | 3:57:46
  • 16. [autotag]AJ Agazarm[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Adel Altamimi[/autotag] – Bellator 238 | 4:19:31
  • 17. [autotag]John Salter[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Costello van Steenis[/autotag] – Bellator 233 | 4:36:10
  • 18. Douglas Lima vs. [autotag]Ben Saunders[/autotag] 2 – Bellator 100 | 4:57:18
  • 19. Patricio Freire vs. [autotag]Emmanuel Sanchez[/autotag] – Bellator 209 | 5:11:22
  • 20. [autotag]Ricky Bandejas[/autotag] vs. [autotag]James Gallagher[/autotag] – Bellator 204 | 5:44:13

So sit back, relax and enjoy the action.

Spinning Back Clique: Is Tony Ferguson or Justin Gaethje a bigger threat to Khabib?

Tough question to answer.

Welcome to “Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly show that takes a spin through the biggest topics in mixed martial arts. In this week’s episode,  John Morgan, “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” look ahead to UFC 249 and more.

SHOW RUNDOWN:

  • Saturday night’s UFC 249 headliner pits [autotag]Tony Ferguson[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Justin Gaethje[/autotag] for the interim lightweight title and the right, presumably, to unify against champion [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] later this year. So the question is: Which guy is a bigger threat to Nurmagomedov’s undefeated record?
  • The reason we use the word “presumably” is because [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] is out there and can probably step into any fight he wants if he just let’s Dana White know what that is. But one thing about McGregor: He’s all about the crowd. And with the current coronavirus pandemic forcing the UFC to continue events in empty venues, what even makes sense for McGregor? Could you see him fighting on “Fight Island” seriously?
  • [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag] and [autotag]Jairzinho Rozenstruik[/autotag] couldn’t convince the UFC to make their UFC 249 showdown for an interim heavyweight title. The plan, of course, is for champion Stipe Miocic and Daniel Cormier to have a trilogy, but nobody is sure when. With that being said, could Ngannou or Rozenstruik jump the line with an impressive win at UFC 249? And if not, what are they supposed to do?
  • [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] defending his welterweight title vs. [autotag]Jorge Masvidal[/autotag] has seemed like a forgone conclusion for months now, BUT White has thrown us a curve ball by teasing something “interesting” could be in the works for “Gamebred.” So, if that really is the case, what would make sense then for both guys?
  • One of Bellator’s biggest stars, former lightweight champion [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag], is ready to test free agency after the final fight of deal. If he leaves, where should he sign?

For answers to all of those questions, watch Episode 26 of “Spinning Back Clique” above.

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With free agency looming, Michael Chandler weighs-in on his future with Bellator

Former Bellator champ Michael Chandler weighs-in on his future ahead of free agency.

[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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