The only way is up! Hailing from High Ridge, Missouri, "Iron" Michael Chandler has single-handedly raised the bar for what it means to be a professional MMA fighter. After making his professional Bellator MMA debut in September 2010, the decorated All-American collegiate wrestler made history as the first three-time Bellator Champion. He also defeated some of the promotion's most accomplished fighters and set a new record for most stoppages in Bellator history at 13.

The upward momentum continued in 2020 when Chandler joined the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) in one of the most anticipated transfers the MMA world had ever seen. In Chandler's own words: "Don't let the obstacles in your path obstruct your faith that you were created to push limits!" The entire lightweight division has been put on notice, because when the time arrives for Michael Chandler's first UFC fight, the hard-training Sanford MMA athlete will be ready. As Chandler said: "See you at the top!"