Nyförvärvet i UFC, Michael Chandler, berättar att han är villig att kliva in mot veteranen Tony Ferguson.
Nyligen blev den tidigare lättviktsmästaren i organisationen Bellator, Michael Chandler, en del av organisationen UFC. Där kommer han härnäst att stå som reserv för titelmatchen mellan Khabib Nurmagomedov och Justin Gaethje på UFC 254. Nu berättar han dock att han kan tänka sig att möta Tony Ferguson på galan.
Villig att möta Tony Ferguson
Det var i en intervju med MMA Junkie som Chandler fick frågan om han kan tänka sig att möta Ferguson under UFC 254. Chandler svarade då att han är villig att ta den matchen då han ändå kommer att vara på plats och försöka klara vikten under UFC 254.
I’m already going Oct. 24th, I’m already making weight, so yes, I would definitely fight him. He’s kind of the only guy that I’m interested in fighting right now. It’s already been talked about, so you don’t add any names to that hat whenever a guy in the top five is already talked about.
Chandler berättade även att han redan sade till UFC när han skrev kontrakt med organisationen att han är villig att möta Ferguson eller Dustin Poirier under UFC 254.
When I was getting the deal done with the UFC, they essentially said, ‘We know that you just fought in August, but would you be willing to fight in October?’ and I said ‘absolutely.’ They asked if I’d be willing to fight Dustin Poirier or Tony Ferguson in October and said those guys are scheduled to fight but they’re having money issues and they’re kind of having different issues and whatnot and I said ‘absolutely.’ They said, ‘We kind of know the answer to this, but if one of those guys aren’t willing to fight, will you be the backup for the Oct. 24 card? I said ‘absolutely.’
Visa sitt värde
Chandler förklarar att han anser att när man kommer till en organisation till UFC måste man visa att man är värd det som UFC betalar.
So my answer to all six of their questions was yes, yes, yes. When you come into an organization, you have to show your worth and I think that was a way to not throw my weight around. I wasn’t going to say, ‘No, I’m not going to be the backup, I’m not going to be your insurance policy.’ You have a lot of fans and people kind of coming at me saying, ‘This guy is entitled and this, this and that.’ When really, I swallowed my pride a little bit and said I’d be willing to be the alternate for the Gaethje-Khabib card for the slight chance that I might get to fight for the world title rather than saying a top-five guy or bust. Instead, I said I’d be willing to be the insurance policy for that fight.
Hoppas matchen blir av nu
Trots att Chandler är villig att möta Ferguson förklarar han dock att både Ferguson och Poirier ska ha tackat nej till att möta honom. Sedan Poirier blivit aktuell för en potentiell match mot Conor McGregor hoppas dock Chandler att en match mot Ferguson ska bli aktuell igen.
Tony Ferguson was on the table, he said no; Dustin Poirier was on the table, he said no. Since, Dustin Poirier has said yes to Conor McGregor and I think Conor has said yes to Dustin. So that leaves Tony Ferguson. That’s why I said in his way with all caps on Twitter, I said you already turned down a fight against me on the biggest card of the year. This card was going to have a lot of eyeballs and we could’ve been the co-main event and got this tournament going as he likes to talk. I could’ve stepped on his mat and see how things shake out. I think I go out there and beat Tony Ferguson and I immediately put myself on the title picture.
UFC 254 planeras äga rum den 24:e oktober på “Fight Island” i Abu Dhabi, Förenade Arabemiraten.
