Michael Chandler (Photo/Bellator Fighting Championships)Bellator lightweight champion Michael Chandler chats with InterMatFight about his transition into martial arts, winning the Bellator belt, and who he thinks would win in fight between his former Mizzou teammates.
Tell us a little bit about how you got into MMA?
Chandler: I wasn't really a fan until I started living with Raymond Jordan, and he would go out and watch all the fights and would even rent old ones from the library sometimes. Then my sophomore year, Tyron Woodley started fighting in amateur fights, and then he made his pro debut in my junior year about the same time as Ben Askren.
When did you transition from fan to participant?
Chandler: I started rolling with Tyron a little bit and we were holding mitts for each other. Neither of us knew what the heck we were doing. We just kinda saw it on television and knew what it looked like. He was actually taking trips to American Top Team and started crushing people in amateur and bringing back knowledge.
Who was your first fight against? What were your feelings going in?
Chandler: Kyle Swadley in Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri. I did some of my training in Mizzou, because I was sticking around and coaching at the time.
How'd that end?
Chandler: First-round TKO. It was like two minutes.
You knew it was a career that night?
Chandler: I knew I should be pretty darn good at it because I was a wrestler. Wrestlers have the best mindset, the best training, the best competitiveness, and the best body awareness. I knew that if I was able to get around good coaches that the sky would be the limit and so after gradation I knew that I'd go for it one-hundred percent. I spent that first year all over the place but it was obvious that I needed to quit coaching, so I sat down with Coach Smith and told him I was moving to Las Vegas to be with Xtreme Couture.
What does Coach Smith say about your fighting career?
Chandler: He's done a complete 180. In the beginning he was thinking it was going to take away from Mizzou wrestling. I think like a lot of people he just had a lack of knowledge about MMA, and just two or three years ago it wasn't anywhere close to where it is now. He definitely had his guard up but now he calls and asks for updates and is super interested and that means a lot to me. You know how it is, your wrestling coach is your dad, your father figure, and so his accepting it with open arms means a lot.
Do younger guys ask you about MMA? What do you say?
Chandler: Yeah, a little bit. My main goal is to get these guys to be NCAA champs and work their butt off to get there. What happens after college happens after college. If there's a 10-year-old kid telling me he wants to be an MMA champ I tell him he doesn't have to worry about mixed martial arts until he's 22 years old and graduated from college. Wrestle in high school, wrestle in college, and that's the absolute best base you can get. The mental aspect, the cutting weight, the discipline you earn over the years, there is no comparison to a college wrestling background.
Take us through the Eddie Alvarez fight, the one where you earned the title.
Chandler: He was ranked top five in the world and I knew it was a big test. I dominated him in the first round and almost knocked him out and stayed on him the rest of the round. The second was a lot closer, but I think I did enough with my striking to earn it. The third was bad, because when I hurt my foot I bent down and as I did I ate a head kick. I spent the rest of the round fending off his kicks and punches. I knew that if I could make it to my corner that I would be OK. I came back out in the fourth bouncing, and hit him with an overhand right and eventually finished it off with a choke.
What did you learn about yourself in that fight?
Chandler: Lowlight was when I was getting my butt kicked, but it was also a highlight because it showed the rest of the world that I won't go down easily. Going back to my wrestling background: I've been in so many crazy situations on the mat that I was able to keep composed, think happy thoughts and knew all I had to do was get out of the round and get ready to battle for the last two.
Next step?
Chandler: Getting my butt back in the gym and getting better. I want to go out there and exceed people's expectations. I'm hoping for two fights in 2012, with one as soon as April, but the main thing is to just keep getting better and keep putting on great fights for the fans and show them that I can be a great MMA champion.
You recently started a new clothing line?
Chandler: Basically just some T-shirts right now, with more designs in the works. You can check it out at blessedthreads.com and on Twitter @blessedthreads.
You love Twitter.
Chandler: I do. You can follow me @mikechandlerMMA
Who wins between Askren and Woodley?
Chandler: First round, Tyron gets the better of him because Ben struggles to take him down. Tyron takes the first round 10-9. Second round, Ben comes out and gets the takedown, earns some ground and pound, evens it up 19-19. Third round, they circle each other a little bit, and :35 in they both throw hard overhand rights and earn a double knockout. No contest.
You could've started a Twitter war.
Chandler: I wanted to avoid that, they're both like my big brothers!
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