Timofey Nastyukhin – best known for his brutal finish of the aforementioned Alvarez – owns nasty standup skills and undoubtedly possesses the power to challenge the chin of Bellator’s finest lightweight. Of course, Alvarez is the obvious choice when considering opponents for Chandler in ONE, yet a few more names have the skillset to press All American Wrestler. A trilogy bout between Chandler and Alvarez has the potential to headline any card ONE stacks together, giving both men the chance to settle the score.
While earning a boatload of cash, Chandler would easily be one of the promotions biggest draws alongside his old rival in Alvarez – the pair have fought twice since 2011, and currently hold one victory over one another. However, in the eyes of many, it offers the perfect opportunity to do so. Upon initial inspection, ONE Championship may seem like a peculiar place for Chandler to further cement his legacy.
On top of signing these two free agents, the promotion was able to pick up Demetrious Johnson in a trade deal, who persists as the sport’s greatest ever flyweight athlete. ONE shocked the world back in 2019 when they managed to acquire UFC veterans Eddie Alvarez and Sage Northcutt, who both went on to surprisingly lose their debuts to solid opposition. What is next for Bellator’s most successful lightweight? Continue reading for some possibilities.īased in Asia, ONE Championship remains the region’s leading mixed martial arts organization, regularly compiling shows that feature a mix of Kickboxing, Muay Thai, and MMA action. Serving as one of the sports premier 155 pounders, the thought of Chandler jumping ship to a promotion such as the UFC is an intriguing one, as there are multiple exciting matchups laying in wait for him.
The phone will be open, and it’ll be a very interesting next couple of weeks.” “We’ve got some talks to be happening very soon,” he stated, “the future is bright. The Florida-based Michael Chandler has been a key stablemate of Bellator’s roster for almost a decade, earning the lightweight crown a record three times while defeating the likes of Eddie Alvarez and Patricky “Pitbull” Friere in the process.Īfter dispatching of Benson Henderson in under five minutes, Chandler put the MMA world, and Bellator, on notice, declaring his intentions to test free agency in the post-fight press conference.
Following a first-round knockout over former UFC champion Benson Henderson at BELLATOR 243, promotional poster boy “Iron” Michael Chandler officially became a free agent.