The UFC’s Lightweight Division Could Get More Stacked With Possible New Signing

There’s no doubt that the UFC lightweight division is probably the most talent stacked division in the UFC. It’s not hard to see why when you have fighters like Khabib, Conor McGregor, Tony Ferguson, and Kevin Lee in that division. There’s a slight chance it could get another big name soon. Michael Chandler’s Bellator contract is coming to a close, and he’ll be a free agent in the near future. Chandler is currently negotiating with Bellator but no deal has been reached yet. Bellator president Scott Coker has said negotiations have been going smoothly. Chandler himself said he’s willing to stay with Bellator but he’s also is willing to hear deals from other promotions, most notably the UFC.

Michael Chandler isn’t a known name to a lot of casual MMA fans, but if you’re a big fan of MMA you know what Chandler brings to the table. Chandler is a two time Bellator lightweight champion. He originally came into MMA as a wrestler but as we’ve seen multiple times Chandler is a very explosive striker with quick hands and some serious power. Look no further than his spectacular KO against Patricky Freire.

There are a lot of interesting matchups for Chandler in the UFC’s lightweight division. A very notable one is Eddie Alvarez. Chandler and Alverez have already went toe to toe twice before, both were spectacular fights. Chandler won the first fight by submission, and Alvarez edged out Chandler in a decision in fight two. The third fight never happened because Alvarez who was signed with Bellator at the time, signed with the UFC. Another notable matchup many fans would like to see is Chandler vs current champion Khabib. Chandler’s wrestling is very high caliber, and it would be interesting to see how it’d stack up against Khabib’s wrestling. Chandler could be considered as one of the biggest threats to Khabib if he decides to sign with the UFC. We’ll see how negotiations with Bellator go, but many fans are hoping to see Chandler in the UFC in the near future.

Stephen Caloggero (@stevo_calo)