Michael Chandler was a big signing for the UFC from Bellator, but as yet he still doesn’t have a fight booked.
Following last weekend’s event in Las Vegas, Dana White explained that Chandler having been recruited as a back-up for the recent Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Justin Gaethje fight has held him back from getting his own match-up.
“The problem with Michael Chandler right now is he stepped up for that fight and he cut weight, so he can’t turn around as fast as these other guys can right now. We can’t do that to him,” White told reporters. “So, no hurry, take his time, get his body back together. We’ll get him something soon.”
White did however hint that Chandler’s debut may well come during the UFC’s next visit to Fight Island in the early months of 2021.
“Once we go back to Abu Dhabi there’s going to be a lot of big fights coming up here, so he’ll be a part of something,” White stated.
For his part, Chandler has posted on social media that his training camp for his next fight started this week, and he has also recently retweeted a news story in which Dustin Poirier suggested that Justin Gaethje would be a good first test for the newcomer.
Chandler and Gaethje were for many years two of the best lightweights not under contract with the UFC, with Chandler having been a multiple time Bellator 155lb champ, while Gaethje was the long-reigning kingpin of the PFL promotion.
Still, at this stage it’s only speculation and there’s plenty of other fights for Chandler in the always competitive lightweight ranks if it isn’t Gaethje.
