The UFC ranked #6 lightweight contender Michael Chandler has been the talk of the town lately, especially regarding his surprising transition from the lucrative ‘red panty night‘ fight against Conor McGregor. This matchup could have been a dream fight for many fighters, but after waiting for more than 18 months for McGregor, ‘Iron Mike’ announced through UFC head honcho Dana White that he will fight ranked #2 contender Charles Oliveira in the upcoming UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden, headlined by Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic.

Many feel that Chandler squandered the prime years of his career waiting for the lucrative showdown but the former Bellator champ has other opinions. In a recent interview with Ariel Helwani on his show, he stated, “It’s a No. 1 contender fight; that’s what Dana announced. Wherever he got on his social media, he said, ‘Hey, this fight is happening on November 16—a five-round co-main event for the top contender fight.’ So, it’s from the boss’s mouth.”

Now, this layoff wait appears to be part of a ‘God’s plan,’ as Chandler’s upcoming fight against Oliveira will be for the number one contender position. This means the winner will be next in line to face the division champion, Islam Makhachev who is currently set to fight Arman Tsarukyan in January. After that conclusion, it will be clear who the winner of Charles Oliveira vs. Michael former Bellator champion will face: Arman Tsarukyan or Islam Makhachev.

Earlier this year, Chandler had already offered to face both Tsarukyan and Makhachev after his fight against Conor McGregor fell through. However, this was perceived as mockery by Makhachev, who responded with ultimate disrespect, claiming, ‘No thanks, you are an unreliable dude. One tweet from your master and you will run away. A champ needs real opponents.’ Despite Makhachev’s disrespectful tweet, his coach holds a different opinion on the former Bellator champion.

Javier Mendez on Michael Chandler’s Potential Fight with Islam Makhachev

Islam Makhachev might not view Michael Chandler as a worthy opponent for himself, but his longtime coach, Javier Mendez, has a different opinion, which he openly shared in public. Highlighting Chandler’s wrestling skills, Mendez noted that the three-time Bellator champion has already proven himself. He sees ‘Iron Mike’ as the perfect matchup for Makhachev, especially since Makhachev has already fought and defeated everyone in his division. A showdown against Chandler is pending and could bring freshness to the division.

The AKA founder endorsed the Makhachev vs. Chandler fight while speaking to Submission Radio, claiming, “I love that. Michael Chandler is, you know, he wants to put his name in the hat, and I like his attitude; I like what he’s doing. And I think that he’s correct. If he gets a win, that’s good excitement. Islam has never faced him, so that would be a great fight for Islam to get charged up.”

What are your thoughts on Michael Chandler’s claims? Do you think that after being inactive for more than two years, ‘Iron Mike’ will be entitled to a title shot? Drop your opinion below.