Former Bellator lightweight champion Michael Chandler is stepping back into the octagon more than two years after his last fight, and he’s hoping President-elect Donald Trump will be there in person to witness it.
Chandler will face off against Charles Oliveira in the co-main event of UFC 309 in New York on Nov. 16, and he told TMZ Sports that there is a good chance Trump will be there to hopefully watch him claim victory.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump arrives to speak during an election night event at the Palm Beach Convention Center on November 6, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
“I did see Trump, and he said “I’ll either be there on Nov. 16th, because we won the election, or if I lost, I’ll be depressed, and I won’t show up.’ Obviously, he won the election so it sounds like he’s going to be there.”
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Chandler last fought in November 2022 against Dustin Poirier in UFC 281, where he lost by submission. He was waiting for a big- ticket fight, and he got that chance when he was scheduled to fight Conor McGregor this past June.
Leading up to the fight, there was speculation that it would not happen, which McGregor later confirmed due to a training injury.
(L-R) Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler face off during the filming of The Ultimate Fighter at UFC APEX on March 13, 2023, in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
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Tired of waiting, Chandler finally got his fight with Oliveira. And he is hoping Trump’s luck on Tuesday will rub off on him.
“I’ll be draped in the 50 stars and 13 bars, I will have the American flag on my person, and it’ll be an honor to go out there, get my hand raised at the world’s most iconic arena in front of our president-elect, and it’s going to be a good night at Madison Square Garden.”
Michael Chandler greets Donald Trump during the UFC 295 event at Madison Square Garden on November 11, 2023, in New York City. (Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
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Chandler has been vocal about his support for Trump, which he reiterated in his interview with TMZ Sports this week.
“I was very happy with the results of the election, I have not been shy about that.”
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