Michael Chandler is the backup fighter for the UFC 254 main event between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Justin Gaethje.
Chandler could very well find his way into a title shot this weekend, but the UFC lightweight champion doesn’t think much of the former Bellator lightweight champion.
“I think I don’t even need to use my wrestling versus Michael Chandler, that is what I think. I know he came here to Abu Dhabi, but he’s going to come here, make weight and go home,” Khabib Nurmagomedov said to Aaron Bronsteter of TSN (via Cole Shelton of BJPenn.com). “This is what I think, thank you Michael Chandler. Go home and fight with other fighters. He’s not a high-level championship fighter in UFC because two-fight ago he lost in another organization. He lost to in Bellator to a featherweight, he knocked him out. He has to improve himself, he has to show the world he can fight for the title and fight with someone who is top-five in UFC and then we can talk about him.”
The former Bellator lightweight champion has a distinguished resume coming from Bellator, with notable victories coming over Marcin Held, Patricky Pitbull, Eddie Alvarez, Rick Hawn, Akihiro Gono, David Rickels, Derek Campos, Ben Henderson, Goiti Yamauchi and Brent Primus.
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