Michael wants Khabib to be 29-Chandler

On Saturday night, former three-time Bellator MMA lightweight champion Michael Chandler had the greatest league debut that UFC president Dana White could remember. In the co-main event of UFC 257, Chandler destroyed #6 ranked Dan Hooker, then channeled his inner Rick Flair with a stirring post-fight speech.

I tell y’all this. This is the greatest moment in my professional life! said Chandler. Conor McGregor! Surprise, surprise! There’s a new king in the lightweight division! Dustin Poirier! Your time is coming! And Khabib! If you ever do see fit to grace us with your presence back here in the UFC octagon in your quest for 30-0, you’ve gotta beat somebody. So beat me, if you can! God bless! See you at the top!

Chandler then went backstage and explained his pro-wrestling inspired remarks.

The origination of that was actually DC and Ariel talking about why I was in the [EA Sports UFC] video game,’ began Chandler. Ariel said I shouldn’t have been in the video game, I hadn’t fought in the UFC yet, But DC was like, ‘Well, yeah. But he’s Ric Flair. He came over from WCW and he got the title shot right away. Everybody was mad, but he’s Ric Flair.’ So it’s kinda funny. I’m actually not the biggest WWE/pro wrestling guy, but it was ‘the best day of my professional career.’ I didn’t do the whole ‘tear in my eye’ thing, though, I thought that was a little too over the top. And the callouts came after that.

At the post-fight press conference, Chandler narrowed in on division champion Khabib Nurmagomedov.

You guys heard me, I’d love for Khabib to come back, said Chandler. I get it, I haven’t earned the right for him to think that he’s not levels above me yet, but I promise you, I can beat that man. I promise you, if he steps into the octagon with me, he becomes 29 and Chandler, and not 30-0. So, we’ll see.

Listen, Khabib, you’re the greatest of all times, you are the GOAT. You are undefeated, you’ve looked unbeatable. You are right, none of these guys can hold a candle to you. What are you gonna do, come back and rematch one of these guys? It’s not gonna happen, you don’t need to do that, you’re a champion, but when a guy who shows that he’s got a wrestling pedigree, when a guy who comes in and shows… Yeah, he’s not undefeated. Listen, I’m not undefeated. I wear my Ls on my sleeve, I got five of them. A couple of them were weird stoppages, TKO, injury, default, whatever you call it, but every single time I’ve come back better.

I’m by no means a perfect man inside that Octagon, but I promise you I can beat that man. I promise you I can beat Khabib, so I told him – I didn’t tell him personally, but I told him through the camera lens. You’ve earned every right to be able to sail off into the sunset and continue living your life and making your impact because you’ve done it thus far. But, man, if you ever do come back, there’s a man over here waiting for you from High Ridge, Missouri.

Khabib remains in the USADA testing pool, so could return if he wants to. However, the only name likely to bring him back is GSP. Dana White ls doubtless irked with Georges St-Pierre for winning the middleweight belt and immediately retiring again. Dana White wanted Conor McGregor to win and then offer Khabib the biggest PPV in league history. But Conor lost. The biggest fight the UFC can make right now is GSP vs. Khabib, non-title, at walking around weight, for the unofficial GOAT belt.

So Chandler won’t get his wish. But “Iron” had one of the great debuts in UFC history, and is an extraordinary addition to what is already the league’s deepest division.