UFC Fighter Michael Chandler Says He Would NEVER Be Friends with Jake Paul
If there's one thing that Michael Chandler knows how to do, it's fight. The 3x Bellator World Champion mixed martial artist recently inked his first UFC contract and is in the middle of fight camp preparing for his first bout in the most well-known fighting league on the planet.
After fighting in Bellator (another mixed martial arts organization) for 10 years, Mike became a free agent and had the chance to switch lanes and fight underneath the UFC banner. He wanted to make the jump, but did they want him?
Mike came on Bussin' With The Boys this week and spoke about his phone call with UFC President, Dana White:
As familiar as Mike is with the world of man to man combat, there's something different about this time around...
No, it's not the famous 8-sided octagon ring that he'll step into for the first time.
No, it's not the household names he'll be going up against.
No, it's not the millions of lunatic fans that will be watching from around the world.
So what is it? Well, to put it simply, Mike doesn't know who he's fighting.
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I'm not being cute by saying he doesn't "know" who he's fighting like as if they're not friends, Mike literally has no idea who his opponent is going to be. He's training to fight SOMEBODY on January 23 at UFC 257 where the main card will be headlined by UFC royalty Conor McGregor vs Dustin Poirier. As a champion in his own right, you could argue that Mike should expect a top-tier opponent on a big card like this one. So, in typical fight-hyping fashion, he's calling shots and naming names:
Even if this is the first time you've heard of Mike, you already know he's a nice guy. He's the type you would let babysit your kids or take your daughter to the prom, so he isn't going to give you the Tyson-esque trash talk that you might be looking for from a man who uses his bare hands to put people unconscious for a living. But, he knows his skillset, and he lets his performances in the ring do most of the talking (and with 16 finishes in 26 professional fights, his performances make NOISE).
In fact, Mike is SUCH a nice guy, that even when he talks about somebody he probably can't stand, he goes about it in the kindest way possible. Let's look at how he speaks about YouTuber/guy who ruined Nate Robinson's legacy, Jake Paul, for example:
Even though Mike plays the nice guy better than maybe anybody ever, don't be fooled, he is a SAVAGE in the cage. So, while he gears up for a fight against a mystery man on the biggest card of his life, he is as locked in as ever and ready to dismantle whoever they put in front of him.
If I could offer a prediction, I'm putting my money on Iron Mike finishing the way he usually does, and he's gonna smile all the way to the bank when he does.
Catch the full episode wherever you get your podcasts, and hopefully see Mike in the octagon on January 23.