Former UFC two-division champion McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) and former Bellator lightweight champ Michael Chandler (23-8 MMA, 2-3 UFC) will coach the show's forthcoming Season 31.
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Michael Chandler was born on April 24, 1986. He is a professional MMA fighter from the United States. He now fights in the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s Lightweight category (UFC). Chandler, a professional fighter since 2009, rose to prominence when he began competing for Bellator MMA, for which he competed from 2010 until 2020. Chandler won the Bellator Season Four Lightweight Tournament and became a three-time Bellator Lightweight Champion. He is ranked #5 in the UFC lightweight rankings as of November 2, 2021.
Chandler was the second of four children born to Michael Sr. and Betty Chandler in High Ridge, Missouri. He is of German and Irish ancestry. Chandler was on the honor roll every term of high school, earned three football letters, and came second in the MSHSAA State Championships in wrestling as a senior. During his senior year, he was named Most Valuable Wrestler and was named to the All-St. Louis Team.
Chandler enrolled at the University of Missouri without an athletic scholarship after graduating from Northwest High School in 2004 and walked onto the school’s wrestling team. Chandler was a four-time NCAA Division I qualifier at Missouri, with 100 career victories and a fifth-place finish at the NCAAs as a senior, earning DI All-American honors.
Chandler finished second in the Big 12 Championships in 2008 and 2009 and received automatic invites to three of the four NCAA Championships he competed in. Chandler finished his four years as a starter with a 31-15 record against Big 12 opponents and a 100-40 overall record.
He studied personal financial management services and real estate. He also became close to two-time Dan Hodge Trophy winner and eventual Bellator MMA World Champion Ben Askren, as well as two-time All-American and eventual UFC Welterweight Champion Tyron Woodley.
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Chandler signed a deal with the UFC on September 17, 2020, and will serve as a backup for a title fight between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Justin Gaethje at UFC 254.
Chandler made his professional debut on January 24, 2021, against Dan Hooker at UFC 257. He won by technical knockout in the first round. This victory earned him the prize for Performance of the Night.
With the retirement of previous champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, Chandler fought long-time veteran Charles Oliveira for the vacant UFC Lightweight Title at UFC 262 on May 15, 2021. Although nearly ending Oliveira in the first round, Chandler was defeated via a technical knockout early in the second.
On November 6, 2021, Chandler battled former UFC Interim Lightweight Champion Justin Gaethje in UFC 268. Chandler was defeated by a unanimous decision in a back-and-forth contest. This fight was named Fight of the Night. The fight was also named Fight of the Year by the UFC and other mixed martial arts media sites.
On May 7, 2022, Chandler challenged former UFC Interim Lightweight Champion Tony Ferguson at UFC 274. He knocked out Ferguson with a front kick in the second round to win the bout. Chandler received his second Performance of the Night bonus award as a result of his victory. That also earned him the Crypto.com “Fan Bonus of the Night” award in second place.
Chandler fought Dustin Poirier at UFC 281 on November 12, 2022. In the third round, he was submitted with a rear-naked choke. This bout won him the title of Fight of the Night.
Chandler was named as the coach for The Ultimate Fighter 31 versus Conor McGregor in early February 2023. They will meet again after the season, at a later date to be determined.
In 2023, Michael Chandler’s net worth is expected to be about $6 million. The majority of his income comes from the money he earns from his UFC fights. In addition, he is sponsored by Dymatize, a sports nutrition and supplement business. Michael Chandler gets paid an average of $500,000 for each bout in the UFC. His largest payday came from his most recent fight with Dustin Poirier in UFC 281 when he earned a whopping $760,000.
