Michael Chandler Expects Higher Ranked Opponents In Future Fights
Bellator MMA Lightweight Champion Michael Chandler will be defending his gold against Brent Primus at Bellator 180.
Primus isn’t exactly the highest ranked fighter in the promotion, and the champion expects better competition after the title defense.
“I’m large enough to fight at welterweight or with other guys,” Chandler said at a Bellator 180 press conference. “I talk to Scott all the time. He’s continuing to go after guys. I have a lot of guys on my radar that I would love to fight, and you’re just going to see more and more guys coming over. You’re seeing guys come over (from the UFC). It’s exciting. It’s an exciting time to be in my position. It’s an exciting time to be fighting for Bellator, and June 24 is going to be another night for me to stamp my name on the lightweight division. Then we’ll see where we go from there.”
The title challenger will be entering the fight with a professional MMA record of 7-0-0, while the champion has fought a total of 19 times in his career.
Despite the fact that Primus isn’t a well-known opponent, the champion still expects a challenge at Bellator 180.
“Five years ago, I was in his exact same position,” Chandler said. “You’re young, you’re hungry, you’re undefeated. You get the opportunity to fight the world champion and stamp your name in the ranks in the world. I know I have a tough test ahead of me. I know I have a tough opponent in front of me on a very big stage.”
Bellator 180 takes place on Saturday, June 24 from Madison Square Garden in New York, New York with Chael Sonnen and Wanderlei Silva headlining. Fightful is providing live coverage of the event, with a post-show podcast to follow.
