Michael Chandler reveals that he signed with the UFC for the competition and not the financial factor

M. Chandler explains why he signed with the UFC. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram

Despite not having debuted yet, Michael chandler he answered the request of many MMA fans who would like him to leave Bellator for the UFC. The North American, who has always been a popular athlete and one of the icons of the previous organization, took a while to accept this idea, but explained why he took on the challenge.

In an interview with the podcast Food Truck Diaries, Brendan Schaub, Chandler informed that what weighed on his decision was not the financial side but the fact that he always wanted to join the UFC and compete against the best athletes in the sport.

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“I wanted to fight in the UFC, but, as a free agent, the smartest decision is to analyze all the proposals. They were all very good. I talked to UFC, Bellator, PFL, ONE and that was really cool. 72 hours after being in the UFC office, we closed the deal. The UFC's offer wasn't the best, but what mattered was the competition. I've made decisions based on the financial side and, for a long time, that worked at Bellator. Some fighters look for money, others for competition, but the best is a middle ground between these options. For me, the UFC made the right offer at the right time. The lightweight division is one of the most exciting in the UFC,” said Chandler.

Michael chandler, 34 years old, last acted in August 2020, when he knocked out the veteran Ben henderson in the first round. After being hired by the UFC, the former Bellator lightweight champion (70,3kg) was chosen to be the immediate reserve for the fight between the champion, Khabib Nurmagomedov, and the challenger, Justin gaethje, valid by UFC 254.

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