The hottest free agent in MMA is Michael Chandler (21-5). The former Bellator lightweight champion has all the top promotions after him including the UFC. Chandler has expressed his interest in challenging some of the top guys in the octagon.
For years, Chandler has been known as one of the top lightweights in the world. However, since he wasn’t in the UFC, many downplayed his success. Well, we might be getting closer to seeing Chandler be able to test himself inside the octagon.
Per ESPN’s Ariel Helwani, the UFC and Michael Chandler are in advanced talks on a deal that would bring Chandler to the octagon. Many perceived the UFC to be the favorite especially after Dana White publicly said how much he liked Chandler.
When could Chandler debut in the UFC?
It is worth noting that the deal with Chandler and the UFC is not finalized just yet. However, the deal appears to see the light at the end of the tunnel which signals we are going to see Michael Chandler in the UFC barring any last minute hiccups.
If the deal gets finalized, we could see Michael Chandler make his debut relatively quickly. Dana White said last night that the promotion was moving on and offering Tony Ferguson another fight after his fight with Dustin Poirier fell apart.
Could that fight be a matchup with Michael Chandler? That is the fight that I would move to make if I was the UFC. Chandler wants to jump right in with the sharks, and it doesn’t get much better than jumping in with Ferguson.
If the Poirier fight isn’t an option, the best the UFC can do for Ferguson is Michael Chandler. We all know that Dana White tries to make the biggest fights possible, and a lot of people would be interested in seeing Chandler – Ferguson.