Former Bellator MMA lightweight champion and current UFC sensation Michael Chandler will look to bounce back after having recorded a loss recently.

The veteran fought Charles Oliveira for the coveted lightweight belt and found himself on the wrong end of the card after the Brazilian picked up a TKO win.

Chandler, however, doesn’t seem to be dwindled by the loss and is ready to walk the path to the championship yet again. He hopes to start on his climb to the pinnacle of the division with a fight against Justin Gaethje.

However, a certain fighter, whom Chandler has already faced, believes it would be a ‘terrible matchup’. He is none other than Eddie Alvarez.

Acknowledging the same, a calm Chandler responded to Alvarez during an interview. He said it’s hard to term any matchup in the upper echelon of the division as good or bad.

He added, ” I’ll tell you this- if Eddie Alvarez can beat Justin Gaethje, I can definitely beat Justin Gaethje. I won’t just TKO him, I believe I’ll knock Justin Gaethje out cold.”

Chandler further said, “I’ll keep a high pace, just like Eddie did. It will be a very fun fight, It’s a fight people want to see.”

MMA veteran and former UFC champion Eddie Alvarez, while talking to The Sun, had advised Chandler to stay away from ‘The Highlight’.

“I think Gaethje is a terrible match-up for him. And I think he should probably stay away from Gaethje. That’s not a good match-up for him. But we’ll see, man. It’s really up to him and his desire. We’ll only know on fight night,” he told.

READ MORE: ‘I Already Thought About Giving Up’- Charles Oliveira Says He Almost Quit MMA

Michael Chandler open for a trilogy clash with Alvarez

Chandler and Alvarez have fought each other twice with 1 victory and lose apiece. Both of those fights came at Bellator MMA in 2011 and 2013, respectively.

Chandler says he is hopeful that they can find a way to finalize the trilogy bout. “I appreciate Eddie. Eddie’s a guy, I spent almost 50 minutes in the cage with,” he said.

“We never got the trilogy to happen so maybe sometime down the line, we can make it happen. It’s all part of it.”

Chandler believes Alvarez is 100% a Hall of Famer and one of the greatest. He concluded by saying that he would talk with him about a possible trilogy soon.

For all the talks, the Alvarez fight seems a ways away for Chandler. However, a mouthwatering clash with Gaethje is surely on the cards and a win there could put him back on the track for the championship.

What did you make of Chandler’s response to Alvarez?