Former Bellator lightweight champ, Michael Chandler, joined MMA Junkie earlier today to talk about his upcoming co main event match up against Dan Hooker at UFC 257: Poirier vs. McGregor 2.
During the interview, Chandler (21-5 MMA), was asked what the fans can expect to learn about him in his UFC debut vs. Hooker.
“(Fans are going to find out) that Michael Chandler is who he said he was, all those years,” Chandler said. “Every time that I said something about being one of the best lightweights, or being one of the best in the world, or (being) the best in the world. Every time that I’ve said that I can hang with the UFC guys or beat a lot of the UFC guys. Every time that I said I’m the hardest worker in the room. Every time that I said I was born for great things, and people laughed me, and said I was in the B-League’s or said I was fighting nobodies, or they said I had losses to this guy, losses to that guy. They’re going to say, I knew it. The hardcore fans knew it. It’s more the casuals who just follow the UFC, who look at me as this new guy coming in.”
Chandler, 34, assured MMA Junkie that the hardcore fans know who he is, it’s the casual fans that are going to find out in just under two weeks.
“The hardcore fans, they know who I am,” Chandler said. “They know my body of work. They know my resume. Their opinions of me will be solidified and the casual fans will say, okay this guy who we thought was a nobody, he’s not that bad.”
Chandler, who happens to be 5-1 in his last six fights, has won his last two by first round knockout. With his most recent knockout being over former UFC lightweight champ, Benson Henderson, Chandler already has the confidence that he has what it takes to defeat a UFC caliber fighter.
Hooker (20-9 MMA, 10-5 UFC), who’s proven to be as tough as they come, finds himself in a great opportunity vs. Chandler. With massive hype and title implications surrounding Chandler’s name due to his recent free agency signing with the UFC, Hooker can take on all of that hype by defeating Chandler, and immediately getting on the mic to call out the winner of the main event between Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor.
Don’t miss this stacked card as the lightweight division has a lot riding on the outcome of the main and co main events.
UFC 257 takes place Saturday, January 23, at the Etihad Stadium in Abu Dhabi.
Source: Youtube.com
