Since making his debut in Bellator MMA back in 2010, Michael Chandler has been one of the best performers in the lightweight division.
The 33-year-old has had classic wars against Eddie Alvarez, Benson Henderson, and Patricky Freire, and managed to win the Bellator Lightweight Championship three times in his ten-year tenure. Chandler is set to do battle against Benson Henderson one more time at Bellator 244; however, it sounds like it could be for the final time under the Bellator MMA banner.
Speaking with ESPN, the lightweight revealed that he’s looking to test free agency following his fight against the former UFC Lightweight Champion:
“I think I’m a guy who could go to [One Championship] and finish my trilogy with Eddie Alvarez,” Chandler said. “Or imagine me fighting guys like [UFC lightweights] Justin Gaethje or Dustin Poirier, and putting on Fights of the Year. And I do think I’m the best guy to solve the puzzle of [UFC lightweight champion] Khabib Nurmagomedov.”
While Chandler would love to finish off his career in Bellator MMA, the change in direction is simply a business move as the fighter is looking to gain more opportunities outside of the company that will financially reward him and his family:
“I would love nothing more than to finish my career and retire as a Bellator fighter, and I’ve told that to [Bellator president] Scott Coker,” Chandler said. “But the simple fact is they have a business to run with checks and balances, and I know my wife and son deserve to be taken care of, and I have a calling in life that might require me to go elsewhere. Bellator has taken care of me, and I’ve taken care of them. It’s been the perfect storm of a symbiotic relationship — them having an asset they were not willing to lose, and me being in a situation where the grass isn’t always greener on the other side.”
Bellator 244 takes place on Saturday, June 6 from the Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois with Michael Chandler and Ben Henderson headlining.