Age, Height, Wife & More To Know About The UFC Fighter

Highlights

• Michael Chandler has an impressive wrestling background with an overall college record of 100-40.
• Chandler started his MMA career with a win over Kyle Swadley and maintained his undefeated streak.
• Winning the Bellator Lightweight title, Chandler holds the record for most submission victories in the division.

Michael Chandler, aged 38, is one of the top lightweight fighters in the world. Once the face of Bellator, “Iron” made a successful transition to the UFC. Impressively enough, he’s 5 ft 8 in (173 cm) and often found himself at a disadvantage as he fought taller enemies. This didn’t stop him from winning the Bellator lightweight title and challenging for the UFC belt.

However, his achievements and notable moments extend outside the octagon, as Chandler proved to be a top-tier amateur wrestler and a stand-up guy in general.

Michael Chandler’s College Wrestling Record Is 100 – 40

He Wrestled For The University Of Missouri

• Chandler enrolled at the college without an athletic scholarship.
• He majored in personal finance management service with real estate as a minor.
• During his amateur wrestling days, he befriended Ben Askren and Tyron Woodley.

Chandler’s wrestling skills were appreciated at Northwest High School, as he was voted the MVP during his senior season and was picked for the All-St. Louis Team.

As a University of Missouri representative, he qualified for NCAA’s Division I on four separate occasions, earning himself DI All-American honors. Chandler was a runner-up in the 2008 and 2009 Big 12 championships. His Big 12 record was 31 – 15.

He Omitted The Amateur Circuit And Made His Professional Debut Back In 2009

Chandler Trained At The Xtreme Couture Gym At The Time

• He originally fought as a welterweight.
• Prior to the fight, his opponent’s record was 3-3.
• His first MMA pro event was titled “First Blood.”

Chandler picked up MMA training right after finishing his amateur wrestling career. He chose the Las Vegas-based Xtreme Couture as his gym. In his debut fight, he TKO’d a regional fighter, Kyle Swadley. The bout lasted 3 minutes and 30 seconds.

Michael Chandler Had A Two-Fight Stint in Strikeforce

He Continued His Winning Streak In The Six-Sided Cage

• Chandler made his promotional debut over two months after his first fight.
• Originally a kickboxing promotion, Strikeforce switched to MMA back in 2006.
• Strikeforce was acquired by the UFC in 2011.

“Iron” didn’t wait long to make his next move. Just two months after beating Swadley, he made his Strikeforce debut on November 20, 2009. Interestingly enough, the fight card was headlined by his close friend, Tyron Woodley. Chandler TKO’d Richard Bouphanouvong at 2:07 of the second round.

His last fight in the promotion took place at Strikeforce: Heavy Artillery. He needed less than one minute to submit Sal Wood.

Michael Chandler Won The Bellator Season 4 Lightweight Tournament

This Was His Debut In A New Weight Class

• Bellator started as a tournament-based promotion.
• The first tournament crowned a champion in each division, with the next one deciding who will challenge for the belt.
• In the finals, Chandler took on another prominent Bellator fighter, Patricky Pitbull.

Before the tournament, Chandler fought in two catchweight bouts, defeating Scott Stapp and Chris Page.

In the quarterfinals, “Iron” took on and submitted a Polish grappling standout, Martin Held. Next, he was awarded a unanimous decision win over Lloyd Woodard. In the finals, he battled Patricky Pitbull and secured another unanimous decision victory, placing himself in a title challenger spot.

Michael Chandler Vs. Eddie Alvarez I Is Regarded As One Of The Greatest Fights In MMA History

The Two Met In A Lightweight Title Bout At Bellator 58

• The fight was originally scheduled at Bellator 54
• Eddie Alvarez had to withdraw due to an injury
• This was Alvarez’s second title defense

Michael Chandler entered this fight with an unblemished record of twelve consecutive wins. In his previous bout, Alvarez defended the belt against Pat Curran at Bellator 39 and was riding a seven-fight winning streak.

“Iron” was close to knocking out Alvarez in the first round, but the Philadelphia native survived the onslaught. However, Chandler choked him out in the fourth outing, winning the belt.

Michael Chandler set the Record for the most consecutive defenses of the Bellator Lightweight title, defending it twice in a row. Alvarez dethroned him at Bellator 106.

Michael Chandler Holds The Record For The Most Submission Victories In The Bellator Lightweight Division

He Submitted Six Different Opponents Inside Bellator’s Circular Cage

Despite his amateur wrestling background, Michael Chandler isn’t a stranger to the submission game. During his Bellator stint, “Iron” has proven that he can choke anybody.

At Bellator 32, he submitted Chris Page with a standing guillotine choke. As mentioned earlier, Martin Held had to tap out due to an arm-triangle choke. Alvarez was submitted with a rear-naked choke. The same goes for Rich Hawn at Bellator 85. Derek Campos shared their fate at Bellator 138. Brandon Girtz was submitted with an arm-triangle choke at Bellator 197.

Michael Chandler Married His Wife, Brie Willett, Back In 2014

Since Then, The Couple Has Adopted Two Sons

• They met for the first time in 2013.
• Before that, they e-mailed each other for two years.
• They decided to adopt two children.

Brie has a master’s degree in Physician Assistant Studies at Southern Illinois University. She works as a PR for Critical Care Medicine at the University of Missouri Hospital.

Three years after getting married, the couple adopted their first son, Hap. Chandler needed some time to open up to the idea proposed by his wife, Brie. They adopted a nine-month-old Hap in 2017. In 2022, the pair adopted another son, Ace.

Michael Chandler Made An Appearance At WWE RAW

“Iron” Showed Up In Anaheim, California On February 19th

• This was the first appearance of a UFC fighter in WWE programming since the founding of the TKO.
• Chandler reenacted his famous UFC 247 promo calling out Conor McGregor

To the surprise of many, Michael Chandler was present at the WWE RAW TV show on February 19th. The UFC lightweight fighter sat in the front row. After a brief introduction by Samantha Irvin, “Iron” took the microphone and called out Conor McGregor.

The promo was similar to one he cut during his post-fight interview at UFC 247. After defeating Tony Ferguson, Chandler demanded a title shot at the soon-to-be-vacated lightweight belt or being paired with Conor McGregor.