Don’t expect Michael Chandler to use BKFC as a post-UFC career.
Chandler has been entertaining fans with his wars inside the cage dating back from his rivalry with Eddie Alvarez in Bellator, to his battles with Justin Gaethje and Dustin Poirier in the UFC.
But unlike UFC veterans Alvarez, Mike Perry, and Jeremy Stephens, Chandler (23-9 MMA, 2-4 UFC) has zero plans of eventually taking the gloves off to continue his fighting career.
“Absolutely not,” Chandler told MMA Junkie Radio on BKFC. “I think I’ve proven that I’m a tough guy. I think I can say absolutely not without risking people saying, ‘This guy’s soft.’ I don’t think I need to fight bareknuckle to prove how tough I am.
“Just go type my name in on YouTube or on UFC Fight Pass and you can see that I’m no softie. I think there’s a certain brand of guy that goes there while you’re still in your prime and able to compete at the highest level in mixed martial arts, and I’m not one of those guys.”
Chandler, 38, will look to get back on track after losing four of his past five, most recently a unanimous decision loss to Charles Oliveira at UFC 309. The former UFC title challenger assures that when he’s ready to call it a career, his final fight will be in the octagon.
“I will hang up the gloves for the last time at some point under the UFC and never fight again,” Chandler said. “That will be the goal, and I will probably leave before people want me to leave, for sure. Right now, we’re focused on the next fight and we’ll see what it is. But I’m a fan of bareknuckle. I’m a fan of watching it.”
