Michael Chandler (born April 24, 1986) is an American professional

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorpo ...

. He currently competes in the

Lightweight Lightweight is a weight class in combat sports and rowing. Boxing Professional boxing The lightweight division is over 130 pounds (59 kilograms) and up to 135 pounds (61.2 kilograms) weight class in the sport of boxing. Notable lightweight boxe ...

division in the

Ultimate Fighting Championship The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

(UFC). A professional competitor since 2009, Chandler first gained notoriety when he began competing for

Bellator MMA Bellator MMA (formerly Bellator Fighting Championships) is an American mixed martial arts promotion founded in 2008 and based in Santa Monica, California, owned and operated as a subsidiary of television and media conglomerate Paramount Global. ...

, an organization he fought for from 2010 through 2020. There, Chandler became a three-time

Bellator Lightweight Champion Bellator MMA (formerly known as "Bellator Fighting Championships") is an American mixed martial arts promotion, and the following is a history of its champions in each weight class. At the time of its inception in 2008, CEO Bjorn Rebney founded ...

and was the winner of the Bellator Season Four Lightweight Tournament. As of November 2, 2021, he is #5 in the UFC lightweight rankings.

Background

Chandler was born and raised in

High Ridge, Missouri High Ridge is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Jefferson County, Missouri, Jefferson County, Missouri, United States. The population was 4,305 at the 2010 census. At above sea level, High Ridge is the second-highe ...

, the second of four children to Michael Sr. and Betty Chandler. He is of

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

and

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

heritage. Chandler was on the honor roll every term in high school, received three

letters Letter, letters, or literature may refer to: Characters typeface * Letter (alphabet), a character representing one or more of the sounds used in speech; any of the symbols of an alphabet. * Letterform, the graphic form of a letter of the alpha ...

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly ...

, and finished as the runner–up at the MSHSAA State Championships as a

senior Senior (shortened as Sr.) means "the elder" in Latin and is often used as a suffix for the elder of two or more people in the same family with the same given name, usually a parent or grandparent. It may also refer to: * Senior (name), a surname ...

wrestling Wrestling is a series of combat sports involving grappling-type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. Wrestling techniques have been incorporated into martial arts, combat s ...

. He was voted the Most Valuable Wrestler during his senior season and was selected to the All-St. Louis Team. Upon graduating from Northwest High School in 2004, Chandler enrolled at the

University of Missouri The University of Missouri (Mizzou, MU, or Missouri) is a public land-grant research university in Columbia, Missouri. It is Missouri's largest university and the flagship of the four-campus University of Missouri System. MU was founded in ...

without an

athletic scholarship An athletic scholarship is a form of scholarship to attend a college or university or a private high school awarded to an individual based predominantly on his or her ability to play in a sport. Athletic scholarships are common in the United ...

, walking onto the school's wrestling squad. While at Missouri, Chandler was a four-time NCAA Division I qualifier, collected 100 career wins, as well as earning fifth place at NCAA's as a

, earning DI All-American honors. Chandler earned runner–up honors in the 2008 and 2009 Big 12 Championships and was awarded automatic bids to three of the four

NCAA Championships The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges and ...

he competed in. Chandler compiled a 31–15 record against

Big 12 The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference headquartered in Irving, Texas, USA. It consists of ten full-member universities. It is a member of Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) for all sports. Its f ...

opponents and a 100–40 overall record in his four years as a starter. He majored in personal finance management services with a minor in real estate. He also built a close relationship with two–time

Dan Hodge Trophy The Dan Hodge Trophy is awarded each year to the United States of America’s best college wrestler. The trophy is presented at the end of the season by W.I.N. Magazine (''Wrestling Insider Newsmagazine'') and Culture House. It is the collegiate w ...

winner and eventual Bellator MMA World Champion

Ben Askren Benjamin Michael Askren (born July 18, 1984) is an American former professional mixed martial artist and amateur wrestler. Askren was the former Bellator and ONE Welterweight Champion, remaining undefeated for over a decade before competing i ...

and two–time All–American and eventual

UFC Welterweight Champion Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions are fighters who have won UFC championships. Historical notes At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, mixed martial arts was not sanctioned in the United States, and did not include weight classe ...

Tyron Woodley Tyron Woodley (born April 17, 1982) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He is a former UFC Welterweight Champion who defended his title four times. A professional since 2009, Woodley also competed at Strikeforce and was an NCAA ...

Mixed martial arts career

Immediately after his wrestling career was over, Chandler began training

mixed martial arts Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incor ...

Xtreme Couture Xtreme Couture Mixed Martial Arts is an American mixed martial arts training organization headed by former UFC Champion and former co-founder of Team Quest, Randy Couture. Xtreme Couture was founded with the flagship gym in Las Vegas. Since the ...

. He opted out of competing as an amateur and in August 2009, Chandler made his professional MMA debut with a first-round TKO victory over Kyle Swadley.

Strikeforce

Chandler made his Strikeforce debut on November 20, 2009 at Strikeforce Challengers: Woodley vs. Bears where he fought Richard Bouphanouvong, He won the bout via technical knockout in the second round. His next fight in the promotion took place on May 15, 2010 at Strikeforce: Heavy Artillery where he fought Sal Wood. He won the bout via submission in under a minute.

Bellator MMA

Chandler made his Bellator debut on September 30, 2010, at Bellator 31, where he defeated Scott Stapp via technical knockout in the first round. The match was contested at a

catchweight A catchweight is a term used in combat sports, such as boxing or mixed martial arts, to describe a weight limit that does not adhere to the traditional limits for weight classes. In boxing, a catchweight is negotiated prior to weigh-ins, which are ...

for Chandler to test himself for the lightweight division, all his previous bouts being in the welterweight division. In his next Bellator appearance, Chandler competed on the Bellator 32 card on October 14, 2010, against Chris Page in a welterweight contest. He won the bout via submission in the first round.

Bellator Season 4 Lightweight Tournament

In February 2011, it was announced that Chandler would be a part of the Bellator Season Four Lightweight Tournament. In the opening round of the tournament, Chandler faced

Marcin Held Marcin Held (born January 18, 1992) is a Polish mixed martial artist who competes in the Lightweight division. He formerly competed in the Lightweight division of the Absolute Championship Berkut, Professional Fighters League, ...

, at Bellator 36 on March 12, 2011. He won the contest via technical submission after choking Held unconscious with an arm-triangle choke. The win moved Chandler into the semi-finals. Chandler then faced

Lloyd Woodard Lloyd Woodard (born November 12, 1984) is an American professional mixed martial artist, currently competing in Titan FC's Lightweight division. A professional competitor since 2005, Woodard has also formerly competed for Bellator and King of th ...

at Bellator 40 and won via unanimous decision to move onto the finals of the tournament. The tournament final took place at Bellator 44 where Chandler faced

Patricky Pitbull Patricky Freire (born January 21, 1986), known professionally by his ring name Patricky Pitbull, is a Brazilian mixed martial artist currently competing in Bellator's Lightweight division, where he is a former Bellator Lightweight World Champio ...

. He utilized his wrestling skills, repeatedly taking down Freire and controlling the fight. He defeated Freire via unanimous decision to win $100,000 and a shot at the

Bellator Lightweight World Championship Bellator MMA (formerly known as "Bellator Fighting Championships") is an American mixed martial arts promotion, and the following is a history of its champions in each weight class. At the time of its inception in 2008, CEO Bjorn Rebney founded B ...

Lightweight Championship

Chandler was expected to compete against

Eddie Alvarez Edward "Eddie" Alvarez (born January 11, 1984) is an American mixed martial artist who most recently competed in the Lightweight (170 lb) division of ONE Championship. He also formerly competed in the UFC and Bellator MMA, winning world titles ...

for the Bellator Lightweight World Championship at

Bellator 54 2011 in Bellator MMA was the fourth installment of the Bellator Fighting Championships. Mixed martial arts tournaments were held in multiple weight classes, including three of the original tournament classes: Welterweight, Lightweight and Feather ...

on October 15, 2011. However, Alvarez suffered an undisclosed injury forcing the bout to be postponed. The bout was then rescheduled to take place on November 19, 2011 at

Bellator 58 2011 in Bellator MMA was the fourth installment of the Bellator Fighting Championships. Mixed martial arts tournaments were held in multiple Mixed martial arts weight classes, weight classes, including three of the original tournament classes: We ...

. Chandler defeated

via submission in the fourth round in an instant classic. In his first fight after winning the title, Chandler faced

Akihiro Gono (born October 7, 1974) is a Japanese mixed martial artist currently competing in the Lightweight division. A professional competitor since 1994, he is best known for his clever and deceptive fighting style, and for his flashy ring entrances. Gon ...

in a non-title superfight at Bellator 67 on May 4, 2012. He won the match via technical knockout at just 56 seconds into the first round. Chandler made the first defense of his title against Bellator Season Six Lightweight Tournament Winner Rick Hawn, on January 17, 2013 at

Bellator 85 2013 in Bellator MMA was the eighth installment of the Bellator MMA, which began on January 17, 2013 and ended on April 4, 2013. Mixed martial arts tournaments were held in five weight classes and all of the champions, except the heavyweight ch ...

. He won the bout via submission in the second round. Chandler was set to make his second defense against Bellator Season Seven Lightweight Tournament Winner

Dave Jansen David Hendrik Jansen (born August 21, 1979) is an American mixed martial artist who formerly competed in Bellator's Lightweight division. A professional competitor since 2007, Jansen has also formerly competed for the WEC and M-1 Global. Backg ...

June 19, 2013 at

Bellator 96 2013 in Bellator MMA was the eighth installment of the Bellator MMA, which began on January 17, 2013 and ended on April 4, 2013. Mixed martial arts tournaments were held in five weight classes and all of the champions, except the heavyweight ch ...

. However, on June 2, it was announced that Jansen had pulled out of the bout due to an injury and faced

David Rickels David Rickels (born January 5, 1989) is an American professional mixed martial artist and bare-knuckle fighter who is currently competing in the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship. A professional since 2010, he is a 23-fight veteran of the Bellat ...

Bellator 97 2013 in Bellator MMA was the eighth installment of the Bellator MMA, which began on January 17, 2013 and ended on April 4, 2013. Mixed martial arts tournaments were held in five weight classes and all of the champions, except the heavyweight ch ...

instead. He won the bout via knockout in the first round.

Title loss and return

A rematch with

took place on November 2, 2013 in the main event of

Bellator 106 2013 in Bellator MMA was the eighth installment of the Bellator MMA, which began on January 17, 2013 and ended on April 4, 2013. Mixed martial arts tournaments were held in five weight classes and all of the champions, except the heavyweight ch ...

. He lost the match by split decision in another classic. A third fight with Alvarez was set up for the main event of

Bellator 120 2014 in Bellator MMA was the tenth season for Bellator MMA, a mixed martial arts promotion. It began on February 28, 2014 and aired on Spike TV. The season included tournaments for the Heavyweight, Welterweight, Featherweight, Light Heavyweight ...

on May 17, 2014. However, a week before the bout, it was announced that Alvarez had suffered a concussion and was forced to pull out of the fight. Chandler instead faced

Will Brooks Willie Love Brooks (born October 8, 1986) is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the Lightweight division. A professional competitor since 2011, he is the former Bellator MMA Lightweight World Champion, and has also competed for DRE ...

for the interim lightweight title. He lost the back-and-forth bout by split decision. With Bellator Lightweight Champion

leaving the promotion, Chandler faced

in a rematch on November 15, 2014 at Bellator 131 for the vacant lightweight title. He lost the bout via technical knockout in the fourth round. Chandler faced

Derek Campos Francisco Derek Campos (born April 1, 1988) is an American professional mixed martial artist currently competing in the Featherweight division. A professional competitor since 2009, Campos has competed for Bellator MMA, Shark Fights and King of ...

on June 19, 2015 at Bellator 138. After a dominant start on the feet, including a knockdown, he won the match via submission in the first round. Chandler rematched

on November 6, 2015 at

Bellator 145 2015 in Bellator MMA was the seventh year in the history of Bellator MMA, a mixed martial arts promotion based in the United States. Bellator held 16 events in 2015. Background In June 2014, Founder and CEO Bjorn Rebney parted with the company ...

. He won the bout via technical knockout in the second round.

Second title reign

In May 2016, Bellator MMA president

Scott Coker Scott Coker (born October 3, 1962) is an American mixed martial artist, Taekwondoin, former movie stuntman, and combat sports promoter. He is the founder and former CEO of MMA promotion Strikeforce and the current President of Bellator MMA. Bac ...

announced that Chandler would rematch

on June 17, 2016, at Bellator 157, now for the vacant Bellator Lightweight Championship. He regained the title after knocking Pitbull out in the first round. In his first title defense, Chandler faced former

UFC Lightweight Champion Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions are fighters who have won UFC championships. Historical notes At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, mixed martial arts was not sanctioned in the United States, and did not include weight classe ...

Benson Henderson Benson Henderson (born November 16, 1983) is an American mixed martial artist who competes for Bellator MMA, currently competing in their Lightweight division. He is a former UFC Lightweight Champion and WEC Lightweight Champion. As of November ...

on November 19, 2016 in the main event of Bellator 165. He won the back-and-forth bout via split decision. In his second title defense, Chandler faced

Brent Primus Brent Primus (born April 12, 1985) is an American mixed martial artist currently competing for Bellator MMA, where he is the former Bellator Lightweight World Champion. As of November 1, 2022, he is #6 in the Bellator Lightweight Rankings. Bac ...

on June 24, 2017 at Bellator NYC. In the first round, the bout was temporarily halted by the referee to check on Chandler, whose left ankle was visibly injured. The bout was stopped in favor of Primus via technical knockout, earning him the Bellator Lightweight Championship.

Post-title reign

Following the loss to Primus, Chandler remained out of action for the remainder of 2017. He made his return at Bellator 192 on January 20, 2018, against

Goiti Yamauchi is a Japanese-born Brazilian mixed martial artist who currently competes in the Welterweight division for Bellator MMA. As of December 13, 2022, he is #5 in the Bellator Welterweight Rankings. Background Yamauchi was born in Anjō, Aichi to ...

. He won the fight by unanimous decision. In a rematch, Chandler was expected to challenge

for the Bellator Lightweight Championship on April 13, 2018 at Bellator 197. After Primus pulled out of the fight due to injury, Chandler faced Brandon Girtz on the same card. He won the fight via technical submission in the first round. In late June 2018, reports surfaced that Chandler's contract with Bellator would expire imminently, making him a free agent. On August 22, 2018, it was announced that Chandler had re-signed a new, exclusive multi-fight contract with

Third title reign

Chandler's anticipated rematch with

took place on December 14, 2018, at Bellator 212. Chandler dominated the majority of the fight by out-wrestling Primus, ultimately defeating him by unanimous decision and regaining the Bellator Lightweight World title in the process. In the first defense of his new title, Chandler faced Patrício Pitbull on May 11, 2019 in the main event of Bellator 221. He lost the fight via technical knockout in the first round. On October 25, 2019, it was announced that Chandler would return to cage to rematch

at Bellator & Rizin: Japan on December 29, 2019. However, Henderson was forced to withdraw from the bout citing an injury and was replaced by Sidney Outlaw in an 160 pounds catchweight bout. He defeated Outlaw via knockout in the first round. A rematch with

was rescheduled to take place at Bellator 244 on June 6, 2020. However, the event was postponed due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...

and eventually took place on August 7, 2020 at Bellator 243. He won the fight via knockout in the first round. In August 2020 it was reported that Chandler was a free agent following his victory at Bellator 243.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

On September 17, 2020, it was announced that Chandler had signed a contract with the UFC and served as a backup for a title bout between

Khabib Nurmagomedov Khabib Abdulmanapovich Nurmagomedov av, ХIабиб ГӀабдулманапил НурмухӀамадов (born 20 September 1988) is a Russian former professional mixed martial artist. He competed in the lightweight division of the Ultima ...

and

Justin Gaethje Justin Ray Gaethje (; born November 14, 1988) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Lightweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He is a former Interim UFC Lightweight Champion. As ...

UFC 254 ''UFC 254: Khabib vs. Gaethje'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on October 24, 2020 at the du Forum on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Background The event proceeded w ...

. Chandler made his promotional debut against

Dan Hooker Daniel Hooker (born 13 February 1990) is a New Zealand mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Lightweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Hooker was the King in the Ring Middleweight Kickboxing Champion and WKBF ...

UFC 257 ''UFC 257: Poirier vs. McGregor 2'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on January 24, 2021 at the Etihad Arena on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Background Starting with ...

on January 24, 2021. He won the fight via technical knockout in the first round. This win earned him the ''

Performance of the Night UFC Bonus Awards are three separate cash bonuses usually awarded to four fighters after each UFC event, based on internal decisions by UFC management. More/fewer bonuses have been awarded at some events, especially when no knockouts or submissions ...

'' award. Chandler faced long–time veteran

Charles Oliveira Charles Oliveira da Silvahttp://boxing.nv.gov/uploadedFiles/boxingnvgov/content/results/2014_Results/12-12-14MMA.pdf (born October 17, 1989) is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist and Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner. He currently com ...

for the vacant

UFC Lightweight Championship Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions are fighters who have won UFC championships. Historical notes At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, mixed martial arts was not sanctioned in the United States, and did not include weight classe ...

, following former champion

's retirement, while headlining

UFC 262 ''UFC 262: Oliveira vs. Chandler'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on May 15, 2021 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas, United States. Background A UFC Lightweight Championship b ...

on May 15, 2021. Although he managed to drop Oliveira in the first, Chandler lost the fight via technical knockout early in the second round. Chandler faced former UFC Interim Lightweight Champion

UFC 268 ''UFC 268: Usman vs. Covington 2'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on November 6, 2021, at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York, United States. Background A UFC Welte ...

on November 6, 2021. After a back-and-forth fight, Chandler lost the bout via unanimous decision. This bout earned the '' Fight of the Night'' award. The bout was also regarded as the ''Fight of the Year'' by the UFC and various mixed martial arts media outlets. Chandler faced former UFC Interim Lightweight Champion

Tony Ferguson Anthony Armand Ferguson Padilla (born February 12, 1984) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Lightweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He is a former Interim UFC Lightweight C ...

on on May 7, 2022 at

UFC 274 ''UFC 274: Oliveira vs. Gaethje'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on May 7, 2022, at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona, United States. Background The event was originally link ...

. He won the fight in the second round after knocking out Ferguson with a front kick. The win earned Chandler his second ''Performance of the Night'' bonus award. It also earned him the second place

Crypto.com Crypto.com is a cryptocurrency exchange company based in Singapore. As of May 2022, the company reportedly had 50 million customers and 4,000 employees. The exchange issues a token, Cronos. History The company was initially founded in Hong Kon ...

''"Fan Bonus of the Night"'' award. Chandler faced

Dustin Poirier Dustin Poirier (born January 19, 1989) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He is a former Interim UFC Lightweight Champion. As of May 9, 2022, he is #2 in the UFC lightweight rankings and as of October 24, 2022, he is #11 in the U ...

on November 12, 2022, at

UFC 281 ''UFC 281: Adesanya vs. Pereira'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on November 12, 2022, at the Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York, United States. Background A UFC Middle ...

. He lost the fight via a rear-naked choke submission in the third round. This fight earned him the '' Fight of the Night'' award.

Personal life

Chandler started dating Brie Willett in 2013 after emailing for almost two years. Subsequently, they got married in 2014. The couple adopted a son, Hap, in 2017. In April 2022, their second adopted son Ace was born. Chandler owns Training Camp, a fitness and MMA gym in

Nashville Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and th ...

Championships and awards

Mixed martial arts

(Two times) vs.

and

** Fight of the Night (Two times) vs.

and

**2021 Fight of the Year vs.

**''Fan Bonus of the Night'' *

Bellator Fighting Championships Bellator MMA (formerly Bellator Fighting Championships) is an American mixed martial arts promotion (entertainment), promotion founded in 2008 and based in Santa Monica, California, owned and operated as a subsidiary of television and media cong ...

(Three times) ***Two successful title defenses (first reign) ***One successful title defense (second reign) ***Three successful title defenses (overall) ** Bellator Season 4 Lightweight Tournament Championship **Most submission victories in Bellator Lightweight division (6) **Tied (with

) for second most fights in Bellator history (23) **Tied (with

Patrício Freire Patricio in Spanish, or Patrício in Portuguese, is a male given name equivalent to Patrick in English. The Spanish name is pronounced with the stress on the same first i as Portuguese, but an accent is not needed because this follows normal ru ...

) for most stoppage wins in Bellator MMA history (13) **Most stoppage wins in Bellator Lightweight division (ten) **Second most title bouts in Bellator MMA history (11) **Most wins in Bellator Lightweight division history (15) **Second most wins in Bellator MMA history (18) **Tied (with

Ilima-Lei Macfarlane Ilima-Lei Macfarlane (born April 2, 1990) is an American professional mixed martial artist currently competing in the flyweight division of Bellator MMA. She is the inaugural and former Bellator Women's Flyweight World Champion. As of December ...

and

Neiman Gracie Neiman Gracie Stambowsky (born December 12, 1988) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist and Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner. A two-time Pan-American champion in coloured belts, Gracie medalled at the 2013 black belt World No-Gi Championship be ...

) for second most submission wins in Bellator MMA history (6) *

MMAJunkie MMA Junkie is a news website that covers the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA). It was founded in 2006, and is owned by Gannett Company since 2011. The site and its content have been featured in ''Time'' magazine'', ''ESPN The Magazine'', ''The N ...

**2016 June Knockout of the Month vs. Patricky Freire on June 24 **2021 May Fight of the Month **2021 November Fight of the Month vs.

**2021 Fight of the Year vs.

**2022 May Knockout of the Month vs.

* MMAFighting.com ** 2021 Fight of the Year vs.

Sherdog Sherdog is an American website devoted to the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA). It also has many forums and discussion pages on the many topics of MMA like records, promotions, etc. The site is a member of the CraveOnline network and provides MM ...

** 2011 Breakthrough Fighter of the Year ** 2021 Fight of the Year vs.

** 2021 Round of the Year vs.

Yahoo! Sports Yahoo! Sports is a sports news website launched by Yahoo! on December 8, 1997. It receives a majority of its information from STATS, Inc. It employs numerous writers, and has team pages for teams in almost every North American major sport. B ...

**2011 Fight of the Year vs.

on November 19 ** 2021 Fight of the Year vs.

* Cageside Press ** 2021 Fight of the Year vs.

*Lowkick MMA **2021 Fight of the Year vs.

Bleacher Report Bleacher Report (often abbreviated as B/R) is a website that focuses on sport and sports culture. Its headquarters are in San Francisco, with offices in New York City and London. Bleacher Report was acquired by Turner Broadcasting System in ...

**2021 Fight of the Year vs.

CBS Sports CBS Sports is the sports division of the American television network CBS. Its headquarters are in the CBS Building on W 52nd Street in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, with programs produced out of Studio 43 at the CBS Broadcast Center on W ...

**2021 Fight of the Year vs.

Daily Mirror The ''Daily Mirror'' is a British national daily Tabloid journalism, tabloid. Founded in 1903, it is owned by parent company Reach plc. From 1985 to 1987, and from 1997 to 2002, the title on its Masthead (British publishing), masthead was simpl ...

**2021 Fight of the Year vs.

*Combat Press **2021 Fight of the Year vs.

Wrestling Observer Newsletter The ''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'' (''WON'') is a newsletter that covers professional wrestling and mixed martial arts. Founded in print in 1982 by Dave Meltzer, the ''Wrestling Observer'' website merged with Bryan Alvarez's ''Figure Four W ...

** 2021 MMA Match of the Year *

World MMA Awards The World MMA Awards are awards presented by ''Fighters Only'' magazine to honor exceptional performance in various aspects of mixed martial arts. Winners are presented with the ''Fighters Only silver statuette''. The World MMA Awards are divided ...

**2022 Knockout of the Year vs.

Amateur wrestling

National Collegiate Athletic Association The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges ...

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges ...

Division I All-American (2009) **

Big 12 Conference The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference headquartered in Irving, Texas, USA. It consists of ten full-member universities. It is a member of Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) for all sports. Its ...

Championship Runner-up (2008, 2009) **

Wrestling Team Captain (2007–2009) **Ed Lampitt Coaches Award (2009) **Hap Whitney Coaches Award (2006) **Hap Whitney Most Improved Wrestler (2006) *

Missouri State High School Activities Association The Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) is the governing body for high school activities throughout the state of Missouri. Approximately 580 high schools are members of MSHSAA. The MSHSAA conducts championship-level activi ...

** MSHSAA High School State Championship Runner-up (2004) **All-St. Louis Team (2004)

Mixed martial arts record

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, Submission (rear-naked choke) ,

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, KO (punches) , Bellator 243 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:09 ,

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, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 20–5 ,

Sidney Outlaw Sidney Outlaw (born April 11, 1992) is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the Lightweight division of the Bellator MMA. As of November 22, 2022, he is #5 in the Bellator Lightweight Rankings. Background Born and raised in North ...

, KO (punches) , Bellator 237 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:59 , Saitama, Japan , , - , Loss , align=center, 19–5 , Patrício Pitbull , TKO (punches) , Bellator 221 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:01 ,

Rosemont, Illinois Rosemont is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. Located immediately northwest of Chicago, as of the 2010 census it had a population of 4,202. The village was incorporated in 1956, though it had been settled long before that. Whi ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 19–4 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , Bellator 212 , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Honolulu, Hawaii Honolulu (; ) is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, which is in the Pacific Ocean. It is an unincorporated county seat of the consolidated City and County of Honolulu, situated along the southeast coast of the island ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 18–4 , Brandon Girtz , Technical Submission (arm-triangle choke) , Bellator 197 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:00 , St. Charles, Missouri, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 17–4 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , Bellator 192 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Inglewood, California Inglewood is a city in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 107,762. It was incorporated on February 14, 1908. The city is in the South Bay ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 16–4 ,

, TKO (doctor stoppage) , Bellator NYC , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:22 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 16–3 ,

, Decision (split) , Bellator 165 , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 ,

San Jose, California San Jose, officially San José (; ; ), is a major city in the U.S. state of California that is the cultural, financial, and political center of Silicon Valley and largest city in Northern California by both population and area. With a 2020 popu ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 15–3 ,

, KO (punch) , Bellator 157: Dynamite 2 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:14 , St. Louis, Missouri, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 14–3 ,

, TKO (punches) ,

, , align=center, 2 , align=center, 3:05 , St. Louis, Missouri, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 13–3 ,

, Submission (rear-naked choke) , Bellator 138 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:17 , St. Louis, Missouri, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 12–3 ,

, TKO (punches) , Bellator 131 , , align=center, 4 , align=center, 3:48 ,

San Diego, California San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United Stat ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 12–2 ,

, Decision (split) ,

, , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Southaven, Mississippi Southaven is a city in DeSoto County, Mississippi, United States. It is a principal city in Greater Memphis. The 2020 census reported a population of 54,648, making Southaven the third-largest city in Mississippi and the second most populous ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 12–1 ,

, Decision (split) ,

, , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Long Beach, California Long Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California. It is the 42nd-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 466,742 as of 2020. A charter city, Long Beach is the seventh-most populous city in California. Incorporate ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 12–0 ,

, KO (punches) ,

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:44 ,

Rio Rancho, New Mexico Rio Rancho ( es, Río Rancho) is the most populous and only city in Sandoval County, part of the expansive Albuquerque metropolitan area, in the U.S. state of New Mexico. A small portion of the city extends into northern Bernalillo County. It ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 11–0 , Rick Hawn , Submission (rear-naked choke) ,

, , align=center, 2 , align=center, 3:07 ,

Irvine, California Irvine () is a master-planned city in South Orange County, California, United States, in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Irvine Company started developing the area in the 1960s and the city was formally incorporated on December 28, 197 ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 10–0 ,

, TKO (punches) , Bellator 67 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:56 ,

Rama, Ontario Rama is a First Nations in Canada, First Nations community on the Chippewas of Rama First Nation reserve in Ontario, Canada. It is the home of Casino Rama. The community sports complex is called the Mnjikaning Arena Sports Ki, which was the ho ...

, Canada , , - , Win , align=center, 9–0 ,

, Submission (rear-naked choke) ,

, , align=center, 4 , align=center, 3:06 ,

Hollywood, Florida Hollywood is a city in southern Broward County, Florida, United States, located between Fort Lauderdale and Miami. As of July 1, 2019, Hollywood had a population of 154,817. Founded in 1925, the city grew rapidly in the 1950s and 1960s, and is no ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 8–0 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , Bellator 44 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Atlantic City, New Jersey Atlantic City, often known by its initials A.C., is a coastal resort city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. The city is known for its casinos, boardwalk, and beaches. In 2020, the city had a population of 38,497.

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 7–0 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , Bellator 40 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Newkirk, Oklahoma Newkirk is a city and county seat of Kay County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 2,172 at the 2020 census. History Newkirk is on land known as the Cherokee Outlet (popularly called the "Cherokee Strip"), which belonged to the Chero ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 6–0 ,

, Technical Submission (arm-triangle choke) , Bellator 36 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:56 ,

Shreveport, Louisiana Shreveport ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is the third most populous city in Louisiana after New Orleans and Baton Rouge, respectively. The Shreveport–Bossier City metropolitan area, with a population of 393,406 in 2020, is ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 5–0 , Chris Page , Submission (standing guillotine choke) , Bellator 32 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:57 ,

Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City (abbreviated KC or KCMO) is the largest city in Missouri by population and area. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 508,090 in 2020, making it the List of United States cities by populat ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 4–0 , Scott Stapp , TKO (punches) , Bellator 31 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:57 ,

Lake Charles, Louisiana Lake Charles (French: ''Lac Charles'') is the fifth-largest incorporated city in the U.S. state of Louisiana, and the parish seat of Calcasieu Parish, located on Lake Charles, Prien Lake, and the Calcasieu River. Founded in 1861 in Calcas ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 3–0 , Sal Woods , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Strikeforce: Heavy Artillery , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:59 , St. Louis, Missouri, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 2–0 , Richard Bouphanouvong , TKO (punches) , Strikeforce Challengers: Woodley vs. Bears , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:07 ,

Kansas City, Kansas Kansas City, abbreviated as "KCK", is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas, and the county seat of Wyandotte County. It is an inner suburb of the older and more populous Kansas City, Missouri, after which it is named. As of ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , Kyle Swadley , TKO (punches) , First Blood OFC , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 3:30 ,

Lake Ozark, Missouri Lake Ozark is a city in Camden and Miller counties in the U.S. state of Missouri, near its namesake, the Lake of the Ozarks. The population was 2,077 at the 2020 census. History A post office called Lake Ozark has been in operation since 1932 ...

, United States ,

Pay-per-view bouts

NCAA record

! colspan="8", NCAA Championships Matches , - ! Res. ! Record ! Opponent ! Score ! Date ! Event , - ! style=background:white colspan=6 , 2009 NCAA Championships 5th at 157 lbs , - , Win , 10–8 , align=left, Matt Moley , style="font-size:88%", 2–1 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=7, March 19–21, 2009 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=7, 2009 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships , - , Loss , 9–8 , align=left,

Gregor Gillespie Gregor Volz Gillespie (born March 18, 1987) is an American professional mixed martial artist and graduated collegiate wrestler who currently competes in the lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional since ...

, style="font-size:88%", MD 2–10 , - , Win , 9–7 , align=left, Tyler Safratowich , style="font-size:88%", MD 13–5 , - , Win , 8–7 , align=left, Jonny Bonilla-Bowman , style="font-size:88%", 6–5 , - , Loss , 7–7 , align=left, Jordan Leen , style="font-size:88%", 2–4 , - , Win , 7–6 , align=left, Chase Pami , style="font-size:88%", 6–0 , - , Win , 6–6 , align=left, Kurt Kinser , style="font-size:88%", 4–3 , - ! style=background:white colspan=6 , 2008 NCAA Championships at 157 lbs , - , Loss , 5–6 , align=left, Brandon Becker , style="font-size:88%", 2–8 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=4, March 20–22, 2008 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=4, 2008 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships , - , Loss , 5–5 , align=left, Michael Poeta , style="font-size:88%", 3–7 , - , Win , 5–4 , align=left, Cyler Sanderson , style="font-size:88%", 5–3 , - , Win , 4–4 , align=left, Dave Nakasone , style="font-size:88%", 5–3 , - ! style=background:white colspan=6 , 2007 NCAA Championships at 157 lbs , - , Loss , 3–4 , align=left, Ryan Hluschak , style="font-size:88%", 5–10 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=4, March 15–17, 2007 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=4, 2007 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships , - , Win , 3–3 , align=left, Chris Oliver , style="font-size:88%", MD 11–2 , - , Win , 2–3 , align=left, Tyler Shirley , style="font-size:88%", Fall , - , Loss , 1–3 , align=left,

Bubba Jenkins Bubba Jenkins (born February 5, 1988) is an American mixed martial artist and former amateur wrestler. He currently competes in the featherweight division of Professional Fighters League. He has also notably competed for Bellator MMA, Absolute ...

, style="font-size:88%", MD 3–15 , - ! style=background:white colspan=6 , 2006 NCAA Championships at 157 lbs , - , Loss , 1–2 , align=left, Brandon Becker , style="font-size:88%", 4–10 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=3, March 16–18, 2006 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=3, 2006 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships , - , Loss , 1–1 , align=left, Ben Cherrington , style="font-size:88%", 1–8 , - , Win , 1–0 , align=left, Matt Lebe , style="font-size:88%", 3–2 , -

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Chandler, Michael 1986 births American male mixed martial artists Lightweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing collegiate wrestling Living people Mixed martial artists from Missouri People from High Ridge, Missouri People from Boca Raton, Florida Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters Bellator MMA champions American male sport wrestlers Missouri Tigers wrestlers University of Missouri alumni

Background

Mixed martial arts career

Strikeforce

Bellator MMA

Bellator Season 4 Lightweight Tournament

Lightweight Championship

Title loss and return

Second title reign

Post-title reign

Third title reign

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Personal life

Championships and awards

Mixed martial arts

Amateur wrestling

Mixed martial arts record

Pay-per-view bouts

NCAA record

See also

References

External links