Michael Chandler sends message to fans following loss, ‘The best is still yet to come’
Michael Chandler lost his first UFC title shot on Saturday night when Charles Oliveira ended his night early with a second-round TKO. That setback has put Chandler in the position of picking himself back up and continuing forward. The former Bellator standout now has two fights in the UFC and is 1-1 with a title loss, but this has not deterred him from wanting another shot at that UFC gold. Chandler took to his Instagram page to send a statement to thank all those who supported him.
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“Here we are, Monday morning, hitting the ground running after a tough weekend, a tough loss, falling short,” Chandler said on Instagram. “I great opportunity that was, we missed the mark. That’s just the way life is. Sometimes life will deal you those kinds of things. Sometimes you are going to encounter scars, bruises, but the scars and the bruises remind you that you’re still here. You still have a smile on your face and you are still moving forward with complete disregard for previous failures and future opposition. I just want to thank you guys for being on this journey with me. You have no idea what your support, the outpouring of love has done to my heart. It is just absolutely amazing. I am surrounded by such a great ridiculous support system. I love you guys so much for being part of that.”
Chandler has had much success over his MMA career and although he lost the title shot on just his second fight in the UFC, his time at the top of the lightweight division is far from over. There are some big names in the UFC 155 pound division, and Chandler fits in well. He could have a title contender shot his next time out against the loser of Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor, assuming the winner of that bout will fight Oliveira next. Or he could fight Justin Gaethje next. There are many options for Chandler.
“We don’t follow people because of the virtual certainly of their success that they will have,” Chandler continued. “We follow them into battle because of what they have done on the way to the battlefield and then if they do encounter a setback, if they do suffer loss, if they do publically get beaten and the masses see it, we follow them because of the way they pull themselves back up. We follow them because of the way they trod forward. Continue to hitch their dreams to that shooting star, and that’s where I am right now. The best is still yet to come. As I said, I will wear that UFC strap before this career is over.”
At this time Michael Chandler has not mentioned an estimated time of return, nor who he would like to face next. He is just two days removed from the loss, and although he seems in high spirits, he will need time to heal and work his way back to achieving his goal.
