Michael Chandler had a troublesome time of it in opposition to Charles Oliveira.
This previous Saturday, Chandler rematched Oliveira within the co-main occasion of UFC 309, dropping a call in a five-round warfare. It was Chandler’s first combat in two years and the previous Bellator light-weight champion had a tough welcome again to the octagon as he informed Bussin’ With The Boys on Wednesday.
“My physique is jacked,” Chandler mentioned. “My coronary heart is full. Let’s begin with the center. My coronary heart is full. … I’m simply completely happy to be house. It was good. I had an outstanding coaching camp, we went to warfare, we did our factor.
“My physique, essentially the most ache I’ve ever been in my complete life. Probably the most accidents I’ve had in a combat, for positive. Peed blood, irritation throughout, my complete physique is swollen. … The primary [blood in my urine] was very gentle, which was in my drug take a look at. … It had a light-weight tint and the second was beet trying juice. It was darkish.”
On high of all that, Chandler additionally revealed that he injured his knee early within the combat, saying that he believes it got here throughout an change within the first spherical and severely hampered his potential all through.
“I feel one thing occurred to the knee in that first change when he had the leg and I did that full 360, he did a kneebar factor, as a result of I walked again to the stool and I regarded down at my left leg and it was not working proper,” Chandler mentioned. “It wasn’t stepping, it wasn’t catching, it was unstable, it was bizarre. … You already know what it feels prefer to be on a stable basis, to stroll ahead, transfer ahead, assault, and I simply wasn’t.
“Transferring backwards was no drawback, so my physique and my mind was telling me transferring backwards was cool however transferring ahead, planting and being in his face, stress — even if you happen to return and watch the fifth [round] … each time I used to be pursuing him, my leg was nearly flopping fairly than stalking and transferring ahead. …
“We’ll see what occurred, however basically for 23 minutes of that combat I don’t know if the leg was actually working that effectively.”
Chandler added that he’s but to have an MRI however says he’ll see to that within the coming days earlier than making his return plans. However for now he’s tentatively focusing on a return subsequent summer time at this level and each time he comes again, he hopes it’s to lastly settle his enterprise with Conor McGregor.
“Appears to be like prefer it’s going to be Conor subsequent,” Chandler mentioned. “I’m not saying it’s an actual actuality, however I’m saying if he does his highway comes straight by way of Nashville, Tennessee. His highway again to the UFC, we now have to complete The Final Fighter, the UFC needs to complete The Final Fighter, Conor needs to combat me. He can combat anyone, however he made a dedication. …
“He’s extra sentimental and romantic concerning the sport than folks give him credit score for as a result of he has develop into this large, notorious model. However he is aware of he’s nothing with out that UFC octagon, he is aware of he’s nothing with out the UFC. He was a plumber on welfare sleeping on a sofa and with out the UFC, he’s nothing.
“So I feel he needs to see by way of to his dedication. Fairly frankly, he wants to come back again, he wants one thing to chase or else he’s going to maintain chasing the mistaken issues. And if he does, there’s a man ready and I simply so occur to assume I’m one of many high attracts within the UFC. Individuals can pay good cash to look at me combat, it doesn’t matter what.”
