Kennedy Nzechukwu joins the UFC Post Show to discuss his TKO win vs. Ion Cutelaba in a short-notice main event at …
what’s up guys Brett okamoto from ESPN
joined by one of the craziest people I
think that uh involved in this Sport and
maybe on this planet Michael Chandler
UFC lightweight is coming off of a fight
against Dustin Poirier fight of the
night again at UFC 281 in New York
um I’m sure you know all of us saw the
fight it was about a week ago so a week
later Michael how you’re back home yeah
you’re in your home right now or yeah
I’m back well I’m in my uh I’m in my
studio in my studio I built the studio
in my backyard so I can backyard okay
bring value to people but uh yeah man
just uh back home and gosh so happy to
be home man these uh I love what I do I
love the training I love the competition
I love
the amazing blessing that the sport has
afforded me but man I love being home
afterwards it’s my favorite thing so of
course man because those camps are long
right and you do a lot of it in Florida
and then you get to go back home to
Nashville is what you’re saying yeah
yeah so essentially I made a decision
years ago five years ago or so we don’t
well when we adopted My First Son hap I
said you know I’m flying home every
single weekend and if my fight career uh
suffers because of it so be it you know
um I haven’t really seen that happen but
um you know it’s been uh it’s been a
great journey and being at home with my
my wife and now two boys every single
weekend making sure they get their daddy
time every single week is is very
important and now I’m home uh for the
foreseeable future for so I’m happy
about that gonna go pick up half from
school here in a few minutes after this
and life is good man for sure man that’s
cool that you do the the trips back and
forth on Saturdays but obviously that’s
being at home for the weekend and then
being home for the entire week is a
completely different penguin espec when
you have kids it is yeah but any any
moment is precious I think it’s you know
I think it it uh it definitely makes you
appreciate and you’re you know just be
where your feet are be exactly where you
are be present it helps me do that
unplug for two days and then go back
into the fire uh Monday morning and get
after it till Friday and fly back home
so
so beyond that Beyond loving the family
time uh physically how you feeling after
that fight I feel great man I really do
I mean uh you know obviously some you
know some black guys and whatnot but man
healing up really well I I take recovery
extremely
um extremely seriously I’ve been in the
hyperbaric chamber every single day red
light therapy bed cryotherapy
um hopping in the sauna hopping in the
cold plunge tons of anti-inflammatories
I mean you see the you know if you
anybody who follows me on Instagram sees
the the plethora of pills the handful of
pills and uh multivitamins and minerals
and micronutrients and nutrients that I
take every single day and just uh
I heal up really well body’s a little
bit a little bit sore here and there
every time I sneezed or coughed for a
couple days just what what people don’t
realize is just bearing down in those in
those in those moments where you’re
picking a guy up or you’re throwing a
Hard Punch or you’re getting a punch
landed on you you’re just you’re flexing
every muscle in your body so your abs
are sore your ribs are sore your chest
is sore your lungs are sore
um that lasted a couple days and now I
feel great man just uh you know getting
my scans and x-rays and all that kind of
stuff making sure I’m healthy as an oxen
ready to see what happens next yeah and
those moments you’re talking about I
mean no one no one hits the red line
like you do in this fort I feel like
those explosive moments I mean you were
you were going past the uh like if
you’re driving a car or something you’re
running it past uh you know that red
line all the time in those fights as far
as just morale wise I mean everyone’s of
course loving the fight you’re no
stranger to that it feels like like
every single fight that you’ve had in
the UFC and then even going back to
Bellator people have those types of
reactions but you know you’re not a guy
that’s used to losing a lot over the
course of your athletic career so how
has that been over the last seven days
ah man I will never ever downplay or
make excuses for a loss but I it seems
like a recurring theme now you know
losing
losing to Charles Oliveira losing to
Justin Gates you’re losing to Dustin
Poirier
do I think I’m better than those guys I
think uh I think I’ve proven to lose to
those guys but I do think when you’re
fighting the upper echelon of guys in
your weight class in the entire world of
eight billion people on the planet you
know and at 155 pounds you’re fighting
the who’s who the toughest the the
toughest guys in the world you’re going
to take losses if me and Poirier fight
10 times do I beat him a couple times do
I mean the majority of the time do I
beat them no times I don’t know same
thing against you same same thing with
Oliveira you don’t really know but I
know you know you’re you’re within a
Nat’s eyelash of winning these fights in
certain exchanges or if a fight goes a
different way or a one position goes a
different way or it isn’t as bloody and
as sweaty as as Dustin Poirier and I
were in that fight do I lose the ground
do I lose the top control and get get my
back taken you know just you can run
through all of these different scenarios
a thousand different times and morale is
honestly very high like I said going
back to my first statement I would never
make an excuse or downplay a loss I do
not like losing but losses are necessary
for growth losses are necessary for me
turning into the man that I need to be
for my my wife and sons and the future
leader that I’m going to be after the
sport of mixed martial arts and I think
the way the manner in which you carry
yourself and how you lose after a law
says a lot about how you are and you
know I appreciate every opportunity that
I have to speak on that morale is high I
honestly feel like Win Lose or Draw I am
winning I am a a I am winning at life
life is good man and I just uh I love
what I do I love what the what the UFC
platform has given me and I love uh I
love doing what I don’t do I’m not
fighting anytime soon you know I’m gonna
spend the holidays uh enjoying myself
and enjoying my family and we’ll figure
out first of the year when uh when I go
back into the to the the training camp
for the next appearance which will be
obviously extremely huge yeah that’s
awesome man because you know we don’t
always hear that in the sport we hear
that the losses in the sports stay with
you until you get until you get a win
and that they they eat at you and they
haunt you I mean we hear stories about
that like every day so when when
Fighters do Embrace defeat or not even
embrace it but deal with it really well
um it’s great to see it’s a very
positive thing to see
um have you gone back and watched the
fight I haven’t you haven’t okay I meant
to I’ve met you like four or five times
I just haven’t really I mean I don’t
think I’m gonna watch it and be
disappointed I really I really don’t
um
I really just enjoy enjoying life it’s
almost like I wanted to flip the switch
off of fighting uh because I’ve just
been ingrained in it for the last 12
weeks thinking about poorier thinking
about Madison Square Garden thinking
about you know these training camps are
tough not just I mean the hardest part
is leaving my family and feeling like a
failure as a father and a failure as a
husband because every Wednesday morning
I wake up knowing that my wife has got
to take the trash down on Wednesday
Wednesday morning you know that she has
to take the trash out every morning I
wake up knowing my son I I check you
know I check the the little baby monitor
and I could see my son
you know I can see his eyes open and I
know he’s going to go downstairs and
dad’s not going to be there you know so
um
you know it’s it’s in those those
moments that you really realize that the
sacrifices that you’re making are for
your children they’re for your wife
they’re for the betterment of your life
but
um you know I’ve just just been been
present man being here and taking my son
to school every day and picking him up
from school every day and just the pride
and the happiness and the joy that he
has his man just it’s it’s it’s so much
better than all of these all the money
and the lights and the platform and the
belts and all that kind of stuff that we
could possibly win in this sport
um so I just haven’t watched it because
I’ve just been just been being dead and
being husband it’s been good that makes
sense you know soaking it in I guess uh
when you when you do watch the fight
what do you kind of um what do you think
you’ll be interested to look at like
like what do you think you’re going to
be looking for looking for when you
re-watch it well the armchair
quarterbacks have been a plenty and they
have been vocal and they you know they
they say I I I I would venture to say
that I think I think I fought a pretty
decent fight I think I went out there
as I always do with my foot on the gas
trying to finish Dustin Poirier really
quick if I couldn’t I was going to go
out there I was going to take him down I
was going to wrestle him I was going to
beat him up on the ground I did that in
the second round third round I went out
there and slugged it out a little bit
tried to get the takedown blood and
sweat uh had other blood and sweat and
lack of grips had other plans for me I
ended up getting my back taken which is
a position that I normally
always get out of you know you saw with
Charles Oliver the best Grappler on the
planet you saw you saw it in other
fights that I’ve been in and I went back
and I all right I saw a clip on
Instagram of me breathing uh in that
third round when he had my back and I’m
just going
because not only is a guy trying to take
your head off at Madison Square Garden
the world’s most iconic Arena under the
brightest lights and biggest platform of
all time but you can’t breathe out of
your nose
and you got blood gushing out of your
nose and also down the back of your
throat that you’re literally aspirating
into your lungs and choking on so you
know I think uh I think I’ll be
disappointed that that was the first
time that I’ve been submitted in my life
for sure you know the vision of me
actually tapping
um but I think at that point trying to
pull tried to pull it off wasn’t there
he’s got long slender arms his hand felt
like it was a Million Miles Away
couldn’t find it knew I was about to go
out at that point in time what do I got
left to prove Brett you know what do I
have left to prove so I was in a
position where I was it was checkmate at
that point
um maybe some people call me a coward
for that I don’t know but uh you know
here we are okay maybe I’m worried about
calling myself a coward maybe that’s
what I’m really worried about but um
that’s what you’re saying for just for
not going out I mean the joke was there
like if we’re being honest it was there
it’s like you said what do you have to
prove at that point you are getting out
of that I’m pretty sure you are not
getting out of that show
um what what else have the the armchair
quarterback’s been saying I’m curious
because I’ve kind of seen some takes on
the fight I even had a take on the fight
you know what what else have they been
saying about it I mean it’s more just uh
you know Chandler jokes in the big
moments Chandler Chandler starts off too
fast Chandler brawls Chandler you know
and I just I and I’ve and I’ve really
been trying to unpack this thing and
trying to trying to verbalize it
the way that I fight yes I get it’s
entertaining but you can’t just because
it’s entertaining you can’t negate the
fact that that it is a a plausible game
plan for
for success in the sport of mixed
martial arts you got to realize that
you’re fighting another human being who
has doubts fears insecurities second
guessing themselves and positions where
they don’t want to be in and one of
those positions is a guy breathing down
their neck in their face with the foot
on the gas
and constantly putting pressure on them
just like punches kicks knees elbows
submissions and grappling are techniques
in the sport of Mixel Arts so is
pressure so is presence so is is is
pressing a guy and and playing to his
spirit and trying to break his spirit so
um you know my style while of course
yeah it’s uh it’s wildly entertaining
and I’ve become probably the most
exciting guy in the sport must see TV I
also think there’s some benefits to that
not just from a standpoint of selling
pay-per-views and the UFC loving my
fight style and Dana calling me the arto
Gotti but the also also the technique
and game plan aspect of it that a lot of
guys Wilt under that pressure if I don’t
fight that same way against Dan hooker I
don’t knock him out in the first round
if I don’t fight that same way
continuing to put the pressure on Tony
Ferguson I don’t knock him out you know
um all the the the finishes and wins
that I’ve had in my previous career
before before the UFC you know I I don’t
I don’t finish those fights if I don’t
have this style it is my style and I
have embodied it and I do it better than
anyone else and people are all all the
beneficiaries of it because they love to
watch it yeah it is your style and it’s
not really a style that you can kind of
pick and choose I guess when you’re
going to use it it kind of has to be all
the time
um it does like like like like my take
on it I think was similar to some others
is that uh you’re you’re so all gas all
the time
and that it’s just almost because
everybody knows everybody sees your
workout Clips everybody knows you’re in
great shape coming in to fight everybody
sees your physique it’s hard to maintain
that for five minutes you know and I’m
not even talking about 15 minute fight
I’m talking about just to keep that
pressure on for even five minutes like a
five minute round like you start
especially against a guy like Dustin
Poirier who is seasoned and experienced
like even just like if you if your speed
drops just a little bit in the last five
in the last minute of a five minute
round that’s when that’s when he he
cracks you you know and and you’re
backing up at the end of the first round
so I guess like even like do you have
these conversations with Henry hoof like
I I think Henry is one of the top top
coaches in the sport like what does he
say about like your pace and what’s he
say about like the risk and reward you
know scenarios of your pace
we talk about it but but I think I would
challenge so I actually would go back to
what Dustin Poirier said to Daniel
Cormier before the fight he said if
Chandler goes out there and tries to
brawl with me I’m gonna eat him up or
I’m gonna mop him up or whatever he said
and I would actually challenge that
because I think me fighting it
with less of a pace opens me up even
more to get countered opens me up even
more to get picked apart and and mopped
up as Dustin said
um
if you’ve heard it said your offense is
your defense you know I think my offense
is also my defense when I’m in your face
and I’m putting that pace on you I’m
also taking away your ability to
engage in those striking exchanges where
you’re at your range you can see things
because chaos will make cowards of a lot
of people and it has and a lot of times
in my fights
um but yeah as far as me and Henry
talking about it we’ve talked about it
um
haven’t put a ton of emphasis on it
obviously with changing my style or
whatnot I’m trained every single time I
stepped into the stepped in the Octagon
Henry hoot is the best striking coach on
the planet
um
but yeah I don’t really know uh
kind of where to where to go from there
but
sometimes it works out sometimes it
doesn’t it’s a tough thing to dissect
right I mean like like we said you have
a few more seconds in the first round
against Charles Oliveira you’re a
champion we’re not talking about any of
this you know so it is just kind of like
like I don’t know if you got to see the
main event probably not but like Israel
out of Sonya knocking out headed down in
the at the last second of the first
round you know he goes on to lose that
fight but if tiny little things go
different in this sport it changes the
entire narrative so yeah that’s well and
that’s and that’s what I
it’s it’s so interesting too as we talk
about the armchair quarterbacks and
you’re not you’re not playing a football
game and you’re not running a NASCAR
race I mean these are all of the these
one little split-second decisions that
you could that you’re trying to make
with the best information that you have
or you’re just in the Flow State or
you’re just in the middle of chaos
you’re in the middle of not even
Controlled Chaos you’re in the middle of
Chaos
and the fans and the onlookers of the
sport think well that was a dumb
decision why did he do that well dummy I
didn’t really actually cognitively sit
down right out of pros and cons list of
what I should do here and make a a
conscious decision I’m making a decision
tied onto a tornado with a gun to my
head at every single moment right so
um that’s where you just look at it and
just say gosh dude I can either be mad
at you guys I could I could throw venom
back at you I could insult you like your
insulting me or just say gosh what a
beautiful freaking sport man what a
beautiful sport what a beautiful
platform especially UFC has given us and
it’s uh like we said man meat lifting
poorier up over my head taking them down
I got his back almost we’re so slippery
and so sweaty and then he takes my gets
on top of me and takes my back like that
just happens it’s just part of the sport
yeah 100 you are uh you’re starting to
get like that um
that label of it doesn’t matter if
Michael Chandler wins or loses man we we
love his fights do you want that label
is that a label that you want that
so label I’m here for man like I said I
wasn’t here for a long time I’m here for
a good time and I don’t I am actually
allergic to not even it’s not even
possible for me to have a boring fight
even if I went there and fought at 50 of
the pace that I normally fight at
I’m gonna go out there and be the most
still be the most exciting guy on the
car I have I have stolen the show every
single time that I’ve stepped into the
UFC Octagon I don’t care if it’s world
champion fights I don’t care if it’s
Conor McGregor on the on the card
fighting Poirier I’ve gone out there and
I’ve stolen the show
um
do people say that’s you know
ill-advised it’s at some point yeah
absolutely but I also am just in there
doing what I was called to do you know
maybe I could think a little bit
cognitively maybe I could take pick my
foot off the gas a little bit but that
is that is the label that I want I do
think I’m one of the I’m one of the
biggest draws in the sport right now
um I will put butts on seats and I will
sell pay-per-views so it’s working out
really well yeah for sure
um let’s get to this part I’m sure you
were expecting this and you talked about
it post fight you did come and do a
press conference post fight and you
talked about it that night
um now that you’ve had you know about a
week and I’m sure you’ve been getting
some comments on this where what are
your thoughts on the uh the fish hooking
accusations and the back of the head
accusations have there been a lot of
them and and what have you what do you
think about them now after after the
after the dust is settled a little bit
there has not been a lot of I mean it’s
you know Twitter here and there Twitter
everything on on Twitter is is negative
so you wouldn’t expect somebody to stick
up for you on Twitter you wouldn’t
expect somebody to give you a compliment
on Twitter
um the back of the head I I’ll I will
I will address both differently the back
of the head thing is completely farce
the referee was right there I was
catching his ear with every single shot
maybe one shot punched him in the back
of the head but that happens every
single fight and he turned his head into
me so the referee is right there and the
onus is on the fighter to not punch in
the back of the head but the even bigger
onus is for the referee to be there and
they tell you this in the back locker
room hey if you’re doing something
illegal or something I don’t like I will
warn you first you wait for the warning
and then you change your course of
action how many punches did you see to
the back of the head am I am I missing
something here Brett your honest
attention opinion yeah it’s about what
you said I mean in that one position and
he was tucked like this
um it did look like like you were
throwing them but you’re right
marguliada was very quick to call it and
then you guys were almost all three of
you were like you both of you were
looking at him and he was talking to you
it’s almost like if I pause for a little
bit yes and they always say this is the
back this is the illegal part right here
if you notice I’m not touching the ear
so you can actually technically touch
the ear or punch them in the back of the
ear and it’s not technically the back of
the head as long as and these are also
Hammer fists so you got to remember too
the Striking the Striking apparatus is
this long right so the hand and the
wrist or the hand or the wrist was
catching the the ear so I mean as soon
as he said something obviously I stopped
it wasn’t like I was like yeah screw you
and punch him in the back of the head
and he also did turn his head so you
also can’t if if an opponent turns his
head to make you punch him in the back
of the head you get one free strike
while they tell you to change and then
if you continue to do it then they
they’re gonna stop the fight or start to
take a point away so back of the head
I’m not worried about fish hooking yes
my hand went into his mouth because I
drilled I drilled reaching down grabbing
the chin grabbing the chin lifting it up
and going for the rear naked choke about
a thousand times so when I reached down
there and grabbed the top of his
mouthpiece which I now realize it was or
grabbing his mouthpiece obviously it’s
the same shape as the chin in my mind
Mind Body Connection going off a muscle
memory
a fishhook is the lip if you saw me
ripping his lip and his skin yeah that’s
official but me grabbing his mandible if
you will or grabbing his jaw I mean do I
need to apologize for it
not necessarily You’re In the Heat of
the Moment and the referee is there to
protect both Fighters uh but I will if
people want me to apologize I’m sorry
I’m not a cheater I love this sport too
much to cheat I’ve never cheated in my
entire life
um people can call me a dirty fighter if
they want but that’s about one percent
of the population out there but you know
uh it didn’t change the course of the
fight
had I caught him in a choke by grabbing
his mouthpiece yeah I would definitely
not feel good about that
um and obviously it probably would have
been overturned anyway back of the head
shots weren’t null and void there it was
not part of uh not even part of the
conversation in my eyes yeah yeah I um I
mean that’s that’s a bit that’s a that’s
an understandable explanation as to what
happened
um I think if if there if there are if
there’s another reason why people
probably will not believe you or think
that you’re being
um not fully truthful about that it’s
because Dustin will push that narrative
because Dustin was pretty certain he was
he was not he wasn’t entirely you know
disgusted with it but he was pretty
clear he’s like he’s like that was
intentional and and he’s dirty you know
he was saying those types of things like
it was interesting you guys had your
little thing before you ran into each
other at an arena at a fight then you
fought each other kind of looked like it
was done but it still feels like after
all this that maybe there is something
there like is there just something there
between you and Dustin will probably
exist forever no
maybe I will lose zero sleep over Dustin
pori I’ll tell you that much I mean I
can tell you this right now Dustin poor
is losing a lot more sleep over me than
I am of him what makes you so right
now I’m not I’m not here to talk about
Dustin Poirier yeah I mean I I I just
just trust me he’s losing a lot more
sleep over me than I am over him I am I
am living an absolute dream I am so
happy with my life I am so happy with my
second career that I get to now engage
in after leaving Bellator and going to
the UFC I am firing all cylinders I love
the UFC they love me I am a happy happy
camper
um if he wants to go out there and push
a narrative that I’m a dirty fighter
that’s cool him and him and all seven
people out there who think that that’s
fine I could care less the vast majority
Lions share uh of the Mixed Martial Arts
Community knows exactly who I am and
they will continue to stay steadfast
that I’m a guy who uh does things right
and I’m enjoying this I’m enjoying this
journey and it’s a very good awesome
mutually symbiotic relationship between
myself the fans the UFC and life is good
so yeah you’re very clearly enjoying it
every step of the way I can tell I mean
it’s very very evident how much you’re
enjoying this chapter of your life I
almost feel bad even talking about it
because I am just it’s almost like you
should not even be able to live with
this so with this much joy and happiness
about your career and your sport because
we all want to find what’s wrong with
things we all want to find how our
employers screwing us we all want to
find how you know not me man like dude I
am living a dream you know so
I don’t know man it’s life is good and
you can feel that I mean obviously you
can feel it in the the interviews that
you do and the social media posts you do
but like when you’re walking out too I
mean everybody has a different kind of
energy when they walk out like yours is
just yours is just high octane energy
when you’re walking out is it in in
Madison Square Garden with your walkout
music and everything else it does make
me think about
um because obviously you know what what
where does the conversation move now
what’s next for you you know and I am
like like everybody else and I’m not
saying this just because it’s probably
what you want to hear you versus Conor
McGregor makes a ton of sense just the
energy of that the build up to it the
fighting style of it it all checks every
box that it makes sense
um not confident are you like how
optimistic are you how hopeful are you
like how is there anything that you can
do to try to make it happen that you
haven’t already done like is that where
your head’s at and what do you think is
going to happen with it well um I do
think that’s the fight to make
um when you’re talking about Conor
McGregor being on the other side of this
you know two-person
um engagement that we have to get into
Conor’s got every opportunity on the
entire planet at his disposal does he
need to come back absolutely not does he
want to come back we don’t know that’s
up to Connor if he does want to come
back
who in the heck else do you want
to be standing on the other side of the
Octagon than me right now at this
juncture where the same size we’re the
same weight I am arguably
man it’s hard too because I’m not I’m
not a self-promoter I’m not going to sit
here and say I’m the most exciting guy
on on the roster I’m not going to sit
here and say I am I am the guy who is a
huge huge pay-per-view draw it just
doesn’t seem right because I am me and
I’m in my own little microcosm of
Michael Chandler’s little life here in
Nashville Tennessee but when you look at
it on the world stage and you look at
the response and you look at like you
said the Die Hard I don’t care who he’s
fighting when he’s fighting where he’s
fighting I am tuning in and buying the
pay-per-view for a Michael Chandler
fight
man those people have come are coming
out of the Woodworks and it’s crazy the
amount of Buzz that is on me my fight
style my fights every single time and
the UFC knows it I think Connor knows it
Conor’s team knows it the whole world
the whole world of mixed martial arts
knows it so
if he comes back when he comes back man
you know I’m going to take a little bit
of time off obviously to to heal up and
make sure I take care of my family and
take care of my body I think the
timeline works out really really well
um whenever he wants to come back
and tell me tell me who’s a who’s a
bigger a bigger draw or a bigger fight
than me and Connor right now you know I
I just don’t know I mean the only
there the only thing is I’m not an easy
I’m definitely not an easy fight you
know if you look at like okay risk
versus reward of who’s who’s a big name
but also hey I need to go out there and
smash somebody you know there’s some
easier fights than than me but is there
a bigger fight than me
I don’t think so I really don’t and it
feels weird saying that but I I do not
think so yeah no I I will go on record
and say I agree with you um I mean even
if he were to like if he were to fight
for a lightweight Championship I mean I
I love Alex morganoski love islamaka
show I’ve spoken my number one pound for
pound fighter in the world Islam right
there and if Islam beats Alex he could
be number one pound for pound fighter in
the world but in terms of just storyline
and
um yeah appeal Mass Appeal casual appeal
everything else just mainstream appeal I
think that is the fight to make has it
reached a point where you will actually
be disappointed if it never happens
at this point at this point yes I I do
think so um you know when you know my
first fight in the UFC when I called out
Conor McGregor surprise surprise there’s
a new king and lightweight division
calling him out after the Tony Ferguson
knockout with the big
you know The Big Snip like people love
that stuff that was that was those were
moments where it’s like hey we’re
getting the momentum rolling but at this
point I mean
man with my tenure in the UFC and I
think I think Connor’s Conor’s different
than a lot of people think he is people
think just because he’s got a couple
hundred million in the bank and he lives
this crazy lavish lifestyle he’s not
still just a competitor at heart who
loves competition and loves to see other
people who love competition
he’s a purist at heart and I think he
sees the way that I live my life the way
that I live this sport the way that I
train the things that I stand for the
way that I that I I really wear my heart
on my sleeve
we got we got different we got a
different accent but we’re saying a lot
of the same things he might be a little
bit more braggadocious but we’re saying
the same things in a different way
um so I think he respects that but
um you know so I just think there’s been
there’s there’s so many there’s so many
ways to look at this and say yeah at
this point it would be somewhat of a
letdown and a disappointment if it never
happens and people will say I’m chasing
the red panty night and they’re saying
I’m chasing the the payday and the
payday and yes of course that’s part of
it it’s always going to be a part of it
that that part of the conversation that
people are going to talk about when you
fight when you’re talking about fighting
Conor McGregor but man I want I want
Battlegrounds of Epic Proportions I want
the brightest lights I want the biggest
platforms I want to be able to go out
there on the verge of a heart attack
because the moment is so big
and what is bigger than fighting Conor
McGregor and at this point him coming
back what is bigger than Conor McGregor
stepping into the octagon with got to be
the most electrifying guy in the UFC
right now yeah I hate I it feels hard
for me to say that
but I think it’s the truth so I think
it’s the biggest fight to make it’s the
most pay-per-view sales that can be made
right now at this current juncture on in
the entire world of mixed martial arts I
think Connor knows it I think the UFC
knows it and I think it’s going to
happen
International fight week of 2023. in
Allegiant Stadium let’s put it in
Allegiance hey come on now see now
you’re speaking my language yes I like
that that’s that’s that’s that’s where
that’s where to have it
um yeah man I think I think that’s a
great place to end it
um
other than I guess I should ask if
you know because because waiting for a
Conor McGregor fight can sometimes feel
like like trying to stand in the right
place to get caught by lightning you
know I think I texted you that the other
day yeah exactly
um if it does if it’s if it’s like you
know if it’s March if it’s April and
it’s like we’re looking at the usata
pool and uh Connor still hasn’t been
been drug tested and so it’s looking
like it’s just you’re kicking the can
down month after month you know what
interests you at this point what what
kind of opportunities what kind of
fights other than obviously a Conor
McGregor super fight what would interest
you
well some interesting news did come out
finally yesterday my boy Gilbert burns
looks like he’s finally going to get
that George miles but I’ll fight you
know I know they’ve been going back and
forth for a while
um
but you tell me who the BMF is right now
in the UFC
you tell me who the BMF is you tell me
who the fans if we did a poll right now
who who’s the baddest mother fudger in
the UFC huh I think uh I think I’ve I
got a couple Awards on my on my mantle
right now um I think I’ll add a couple
more possibly knock out of the Year
possibly fight out fight of the year of
2023.
um
but that BMF belt sure would look good
next to him
um
is it a fight that I’ve really thought
about a ton in the past not really uh
but Dad Gum tell me that tell me that
wouldn’t that wouldn’t get the the
juices flowing of the entire mixed
martial arts World Michael Chandler
versus George mosvidov for the BMF belt
The Rock walking in with it over his
shoulder and then handed it to me 15
minutes later for sure it does seem like
and I know that um I mean you’re always
you’re obviously a very competitive
person you want to be the best in the
world but do you feel yourself kind of
like
kind of leaning towards bigger moments
rather than a belt and not in a sense of
like you don’t want to prove you’re the
best but just like that’s what gets you
up that’s what would get you through a
training camp that’s what would wake you
up in the morning that kind of stuff I
think they both do because like I said
battlefields of Epic Proportions man
these these huge moments that that
people wait for months to to for them to
finally get there and they wake up like
it’s Christmas morning you know you wake
up like it’s Christmas morning in July
because Chandler and McGregor are
fighting in 12 hours time
Chandler or miles Vidal are fighting in
12 hours time you’re waking up and you
remember what it felt like as a
seven-year-old kid running down there to
see if Santa took bite of your cookies
and you’re right and your in your milk
and you want to see the the gifts
underneath the tree that’s what we want
to give people that’s what I was put on
this Earth to give people these
earth-shattering moments where you’re
not it’s an out-of-body experience for
everybody involved
um you know I think obviously it getting
announced that vulcanovsky was getting
the next time the first Islam’s first
title defense you know the UFC can do
what they want I love that they’ve put
themselves in a position where they can
make whatever decision they want to with
their with their organization
um but you know I mean that’s you know
there’s fights that are constantly
happening all the time and you never
quite know when you’re gonna get a title
shot how close you are to a title shot
am I am I closing the door on on me
winning the title absolutely not I think
I I think I still will be able to go out
there string together some wins and get
uh get that belt I do
um do I think it’s my next fight
absolutely not do I think it’s two
fights from now absolutely not so that’s
a little bit further down the line
tonight there’s some other work that can
be done and some other other things that
can be accomplished in some other hearts
and minds and souls that can be that can
be tugged on Big Time by me going out
there and and displaying my performances
um with epic names epic stages epic
platforms and and like I said epic
battlefields that that make people feel
something I’m in this sport to make
people feel something I’ve done that
since September 19th of 2020 when I
signed with the organization and now
here we are just two years later and I
think you’re going to be hard-pressed to
find a guy who’s put in more work at a
faster Breakneck speed faster Breakneck
Pace than I have just in the last five
fights fighting the toughest guys
possible yeah yeah the very first moment
I had my my meeting with Hunter I’ll
shook usanna said I want to be a good
thing for your organization I want to
fight the toughest sobs on the entire
planet right away and I’ve made good on
that promise and the UFC has made good
on that promise and here we are talking
to you and uh life is good my cup is
full yeah that makes sense I mean you
can see why the relationship is mutually
beneficial they like exciting guys who
fight frequently and uh and you like big
stages which they provided you so
hopefully man July next year they’ll
bring you another big stage and you will
get that Conor McGregor fight I’m I I
think that that makes a ton of sense and
it would be a lot of fun to be talking
about that fight come July of next year
but in the meantime man enjoy your
family enjoy the holidays and uh we’ll
see you at the top in 2023 yeah you hit
the top baby I appreciate you Brad thank
you man
thank you for watching ESPN on YouTube
for live streaming Sports and premium
content subscribe to ESPN Plus