Bellator Signs Undefeated Michael Chandler

Saturday, September 18, 2010

By FCF Staff  Photo courtesy Bellator Fighting Championship

Bellator Fighting Championship has confirmed that the promotion has signed undefeated lightweight Michael Chandler (3-0) to a contract. The former collegiate wrestler will make his promotional debut on September 30th. No opponent was announced.

Chandler last competed on May 15th at Strikeforce’s “”Heavy Artillery” event, and tapped out Sal Woods in the first round with a rear-naked-choke. Prior to that, Chandler stopped Richard Bouphanouvong in the second round, at a Strikeforce Challengers event last November.

“Michael Chandler is a great signing for us at 155,” Bellator Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney was quoted saying in a press release from the promotion. “He has unlimited potential in the sport, I’m excited to see him progress as a fighter under the Bellator banner.”

“I started training MMA right out of college. I took my first training camp with the soon-to-be Bellator welterweight champion Ben Askren. My first training camp was with Ben in Canada about three or four weeks after Nationals during my senior year,” said Chandler. “I always knew I was going to fight, even two years before I started training seriously.”

Chandler, who wrestled for the University of Missouri, currently trains out of Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas, Nevada.