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The highly anticipated showdown between Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler sadly suffered a setback.  The rivalry began after Chandler’s heated attack on McGregor following his victory over Tony Ferguson, igniting a year-long saga. And we witnessed it unraveling during TUF 31.

Terrell Owens holding Dude Wipes XL

Despite yet another wait for the former Bellator champion, to finally step back into the octagon, let us take a look at where he trains and fights.

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Where is Michael Chandler’s gym? Who is his coach?

UFC lightweight Michael Chandler trains under the guidance of former Dutch kickboxer, Henri Hooft. The former Bellator champion fights under the affiliation of Kill Cliff FC, which is the rebranded version of Sanford MMA. The Gym is located in Deerfield Beach, Florida. Hooft is Chandler’s striking coach, and Greg Jones is his wrestling coach.

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The Kill Cliff FC is a 10000-square-foot training center with top-notch equipment and training. As of 2024, it roughly includes 40-50 fighters. Most of these fighters compete under UFC, Bellator-PFL, and ONE Championship. Additionally, the gym secured a place in the ‘Gym of the Year’ nomination in the 2020 edition. Now that we know about his gym and coaches, let’s have a look at Chandler’s teammates.

A look at Michael Chandler’s teammates

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Kill Cliff FC is a huge gym with several high-profile fighters who fight under their banner. With fighters ranging from ONE Championship, UFC, and PFL-Bellator, Chandler has a ton of prominent teammates. Some of them are Robbie Lawler, Gerald Meerschaert, Aung La N Sang, Brendan Allen, Derek Brunson, Anthony Johnson, Rory MacDonald, Gilbert Burns, Vicente Luque, and many more.

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Henri Hooft’s efforts to bring in state-of-the-art training have brought an army of qualified fighters under his guidance. Chandler has access to learn and train with a number of professionals who specialize in a number of martial arts. Interestingly, Chandler has a gym of his own as well.

Does ‘Iron Mike’ own a gym? All about his workout

It is natural for many MMA fighters to have their own training camps or sessions and Michael Chandler is no different. The former Bellator champion runs his own Training Camp, a fitness and MMA gym in Nashville. The ‘Nashville MMA Training Camp’ is Chandler’s brainchild. The MMA gym boasts a 30000-sq-ft area with world-class coaches and 80 classes per week.

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Chandler oversees the operations, however, his team includes Bryan Tidwell, Dustin Ortiz, Tim Semisch, and Shawn Allen who takes control of the day-to-day tasks. UFC’s ‘Iron Mike’ certainly maintains a lucrative business.

But we are interested to know, that if and when Michael Chandler finally clashes against McGregor, who do you believe would emerge victorious? State your thoughts in the comments below.

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Written by

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Suryakant Das

3,440 Articles

Suryakant Das is a senior writer who leads UFC live coverage at EssentiallySports, known for his broad expertise and standout professionalism in MMA journalism. Over two years in the field, he has become a key voice on real-time event updates, pre- and post-fight interviews, and analysis of viral moments from the Joe Rogan Experience. His dynamic reporting is backed by selection to the Journalistic Excellence Program, which hones advanced editorial skills and strategic coverage approaches for top talent. Suryakant’s career is defined by his ability to deliver both speed and depth. His versatile background spans sports journalism, content writing, and editorial roles, helping him navigate fast-paced live coverage and deliver meaningful stories with clarity and precision. Recognition from respected MMA figures such as Nina-Marie Daniele and Hall of Famer Michael Bisping further marks him as a trusted authority in the UFC community.

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Joyita Das

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