Michael Chandler News

Adam Martin - March 17, 2020

Former Bellator lightweight champion Michael Chandler will test free agency after his next fight and is targeting opponents in the UFC and ONE Championship. Chandler is one of the best home-grown Bellator fighters of all time and is a three-time lightweight champion in the promotion. He has one more fight left on his contract with the promotion against Benson Henderson and will become a free agent afterward.

Cole Shelton - February 25, 2020

Brent Primus is not a fan of Michael Chandler and hopes their trilogy fight can happen. Primus and Chandler originally met at Bellator NYC in June of 2017 where Primus beat the champ by TKO via leg injury in the first round. The two then had a rematch a year and a half later at Bellator 212 where this time it was Chandler who got his hand raised by decision win the belt back.

Adam D Martin - December 29, 2019

Check out what the pros had to say following Michael Page and Michael Chandler’s huge knockout wins on the Bellator Japan card. Page knocked out former UFC welterweight Shinsho Anzai in a catchweight bout. Here’s what some of the pros had to say about his performance.

Harry Kettle - December 5, 2019

Bellator lightweight contender Benson Henderson has issued a statement after he was pulled from the upcoming card Bellator Japan card due to injury.  Henderson was set to go head to head with Michael Chandler for a second time at Bellator Japan in a rematch from their Bellator 165 encounter in November 2016. Chandler won that fight via split decision, retaining his Bellator Lightweight Championship in the process.

Adam Martin - October 29, 2019

A rematch between former Bellator lightweight champion Michael Chandler and former UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson has been added to Bellator Japan. Bellator recently announced the rematch, which will serve as the co-main event on the Bellator Japan card, which takes place on December 29 at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. The fight will be contested at a catchweight of 160lbs.

Drake Riggs - May 16, 2019

Historically, there are few if any fighters in Bellator that have achieved more in the promotion than the three-time lightweight champion, Michael Chandler. Perhaps the obvious one who we could say has achieved more and is now the greatest fighter in Bellator history is none other than the man to defeat Chandler this past weekend, the current featherweight champion and now lightweight champion, Patricio ‘Pitbull’ Freire.

Tom Taylor - May 13, 2019

Over the weekend, in the main event of the finish-filled Bellator 221 card, Michael Chandler attempted to defend the lightweight strap against featherweight champ and arch rival Patricio “Pitbull” Freire. Unfortunately for Chandler, who is one of Bellator’s most visible stars, this fight went quite disastrously. Moments into the first round, he was stung by a Pitbull punch, and seconds later, the fight was being waved off by the referee. Yet Chandler has been adamant that he wasn’t in any real trouble, and that he deserved more time to recover.

Chris Taylor - May 11, 2019

Lightweight champion Michael Chandler put his title on the line against bitter rival and current featherweight champion Patricio Freire in tonight’s Bellator 221 main event. Michael Chandler (19-4 MMA) reclaimed the Bellator lightweight title at December’s Bellator 212 event, this by defeating Brent Primus via unanimous decision. Chandler enters tonight’s headliner having won seven of his past eight fights, which includes a knockout win over Patricio’s brother Patricky.

Chris Taylor - December 15, 2018

Patricio and Patricky Freire were not impressed by the performance of Michael Chandler at last night’s Bellator 212 event in Hawaii. Chandler handed Brent Primus his first career loss in last night’s headliner, thus reclaiming his Bellator lightweight world title.

Chris Taylor - December 14, 2018

The lightweight belt was on the line in tonight’s Bellator 212 main event as reigning division champion Brent Primus squared off with former title holder Michael Chandler. Michael Chandler had previously surrendered his Bellator lightweight world title to Brent Primus in June of 2017, this after suffering a leg injury that resulted in an eventual TKO.

Drake Riggs - December 10, 2018

Former two-time Bellator lightweight champion Michael Chandler has undeniably established himself as one of the best fighters outside of the UFC. At Bellator 212, he looks to reclaim the title that he controversially lost. On June 24, 2017, Bellator made their debut in the state of New York for their big Madison Square Garden show, Bellator 180.

Mike Straus - December 6, 2018

Two-time Bellator lightweight champion Michael Chandler is on a mission to get his title back. And he is willing to do whatever it takes to accomplish his goal. Chandler, 32, is one of the best 155-pound fighters in the world. He is arguably Bellator MMA’s best athlete and has been the promotions go-to guy for the last few years. And boy does he want his lightweight title back.

Tom Taylor - October 11, 2018

On December 15, Bellator will touch down in Honolulu, Hawaii with Bellator 211. The card will be headlined by a women’s flyweight title fight between Hawaiian champ Ilima-Lei MacFarlane, and co-headlined by a middleweight scrap between former UFC champ Lyoto Machida and former Bellator champ Rafael Carvalho. Amazingly, this stacked card is not all that Bellator is offering the fans in Hawaii, who have been waiting years for major MMA show. The night before this card, in the very same Honolulu venue, the promotion will honor the military with a card titled ‘Salute the Troops,’ which will be free for members of the US armed forces and their friends and families.

Drake Riggs - September 25, 2018

The Bellator lightweight title rematch that we’ve been waiting for seems to finally be finding a spot where it can take place. Well…a date anyway! On June 24, 2017, Bellator took their talents to Madison Square Garden for the first time ever as three titles were on the line that night. One of those titles was the prestigious lightweight crown.

Tom Taylor - August 22, 2018

For a moment, it looked possible that former Bellator MMA lightweight champion Michael Chandler might leave his long-time home and sign with another promotion. In the end, however, Chandler has reportedly resigned with Bellator. This, per ESPN’s Brett Okamoto, who says Bellator pursued Chandler “hard.”

Drake Riggs - August 20, 2018

When two fighters put on two of the greatest fights ever seen in MMA history…who wouldn’t want to see a third and final bout? This is the case with two of the lightweight division’s very best, Michael Chandler and Eddie Alvarez.

Tom Taylor - May 8, 2018

Late last month, BJJ ace and Conor McGregor training partner Dillon Danis made a successful MMA debut, tapping Kyle Walker with a first-round toe-hold on the main card of Bellator 198. Shortly thereafter, former Bellator lightweight champ Michael Chandler took to Twitter to share his thoughts on Danis. Just catching up to #bellator198 @dillondanis said he was the “highest paid fighter in @BellatorMMA” but I think he meant to say “most un-athletic fighter in Bellator” and that was against a man with a losing record. #cringe #slow #sloth #bellator198

Chris Taylor - April 29, 2018

Michael Chandler blasts Dillon Danis following Bellator 198 Submission specialist Dillon Danis picked up a first-round submission victory over Kyle Walker on the main card of last night’s Bellator 198 event in Chicago.