Michael Chandler reflects on his past rivalry with Patricio Pitbull, acknowledging misunderstandings and expressing a desire to move on, while highlighting the significance of fighting in the UFC for building a successful mixed martial arts career.
Michael Chandler doesn’t waste time holding grudges, especially ones that feel ancient. In one of his last bouts with Bellator MMA, he lost his lightweight title to Patricio Pitbull in a shocking 61-second knockout. The rivalry was intense, largely fueled by Chandler’s past win over Pitbull’s brother and some misunderstood comments.
“I’ll tell you what it was — he has a brother who fought, right?” Chandler explained to MMA Fighting. “His brother [Patricky Pitbull] is his family, and I think because of the language barrier or whatever, I said something about family, and he thought I was talking about his wife or kids. But no, dude, just your brother. I’d love to bury that hatchet.”
Chandler admits his mindset wasn’t great during his final years in Bellator. Despite being a multi-time champion and one of the best lightweights globally, he wasn’t widely recognized because Bellator couldn’t break through to a larger audience.
This led Chandler to seek bigger rivalries, starting with the fight against Pitbull in 2019. “My last couple of fights in Bellator, I was not happy,” Chandler shared. “I felt like I was working as hard as any UFC fighter but wasn’t getting the credit. Building a brand outside the UFC? Almost impossible.”
He realized he wanted more drama and storylines in his fights. “I wanted animosity. I wanted a storyline,” Chandler confessed. “I wasn’t keeping the main thing, the main thing—fighting in a cage.”
After signing with the UFC and booking his debut against Yair Rodriguez, Pitbull expressed excitement about sharing the card with Chandler. He even joked it’d be “the first time in history that father and son fight on the same day.”
Despite Pitbull’s comments, Chandler wasn’t riled up. Instead, he hopes for Pitbull’s success now that he’s with the UFC. He was pleased to see Pitbull secure his release from PFL after a messy dispute.
“I’d love to bury the hatchet,” Chandler said about Pitbull. “I’m excited for him. Pumped for him.” Chandler noted how fighters often feel held hostage by promotions and praised UFC as the place to build a massive MMA career.
Since joining UFC, Chandler’s career has skyrocketed in terms of recognition and opportunities. He expects more fighters like Pitbull will realize fighting in UFC is unmatched by any other organization.
“The UFC is the only place to build a worthwhile MMA career,” Chandler stated. “Now you’re seeing Patricio come over; everyone wants to join.”
As for a potential rematch with Pitbull? Not interested. “I’m not an unfinished business kind of guy,” Chandler said confidently. “If I lost or won against you, I can sleep at night.”
Pitbull could become top five if he beats Yair Rodriguez on a card featuring a vacant 145-pound title. “UFC knows what they’re doing,” Chandler remarked. “It’s sink or swim time.”