From his record and social media to his very best moments in the octagon, there are few who can match Michael Chandler inside and outside of the octagon.
A D1 All-American wrestler, a former three-time Bellator lightweight world champion, an iconic motivational speaker, and one of the nicest guys in all of Mixed Martial Arts – there’s only one Michael Chandler.
Here is everything you need to know about the one and only ‘Iron’ Michael Chandler.
- READ MORE – Michael Chandler drops bombshell on his UFC future as he reveals talks with WWE’s Triple H
What age is Michael Chandler?
Michael Chandler was born in High Ridge, Missouri, on April 24, 1986, and is the second of four children to parents Michael Sr. and Betty Chandler.
As of September 2025, he is 39 years old and now resides in Nashville, Tennessee.
Michael Chandler’s height, weight, and reach
According to Tapology, Michael Chandler stands at 5’8″ tall with a 71.5″ reach.
While Chandler has spent the vast majority of his career at lightweight, his expected fight against Conor McGregor was initially announced as a welterweight bout – ‘Iron’ has fought only once at 170lbs before, a first-round submission win of Sal Woods back in 2010 – before it was canceled due to an injury suffered by the Irish fighter in training.
Chandler is back down to lightweight once again for UFC 314 when he faces Paddy Pimblett.
Michael Chandler’s Instagram and X/Twitter accounts
Chandler has a big presence on Instagram where he regularly posts videos of himself rigorously training for his fights. You can join 2.1 million other followers at mikechandlermma.
He also has an official X, formerly Twitter, account, with 432K followers you can find at MikeChandlerMMA.
Who is Michael Chandler’s girlfriend?
Michael Chandler’s partner is called Brie Willett, and the story of how they started dating is certainly one that you need to hear from ‘Iron’ himself, as he emailed Willett for almost two years, hoping to get a date.
Michael Chandler’s MMA record
| Win-Loss-Draw | (T)KO | Sub |
| 23-10-0 | 11-5 | 7-1 |
Career stats
| Significant Strikes Landed per Minute | 4.04 |
| Significant Striking Accuracy | 49% |
| Significant Strikes Absorbed per Minute | 4.52 |
| Significant Strike Defence (the % of opponents strikes that did not land) | 43% |
| Average Takedowns Landed per 15 minutes | 1.96 |
| Takedown Accuracy | 41% |
| Takedown Defense (the % of opponents TD attempts that did not land) | 61% |
| Average Submissions Attempted per 15 minutes | 0.60 |
Michael Chandler’s net worth
It’s reported by Sportskeeda that Chandler’s net worth is estimated at around $5m, largely through his fight winnings but he does have other business ventures.
Michael Chandler’s next fight
Chandler does not have a fight scheduled currently, although he is rumored to be facing Conor McGregor at the UFC White House event next year.
Michael Chandler vs Conor McGregor
Following his viral knockout of Tony Ferguson at UFC 274, Michael Chandler delivered one of the best post-fight callouts in MMA history as he put ‘Notorious’ firmly in his crosshairs.
The pair were matched up as coaches on season 31 of The Ultimate Fighter, with the expectation being that they would finally settle their scores in the octagon after the finale back in 2023 – that sadly never came to fruition.
Chandler vs McGregor was then finally signed for UFC 303 in June 2024; however, that bout was frustratingly pulled from the event after McGregor broke his toe in training.
- Who is Conor McGregor? Step inside the hedonistic life of UFC’s ‘notorious’ bad boy and legendary double champ
When is McGregor vs Chandler?
As of April 2025, the UFC has not officially announced if or when the fight between Chandler and McGregor will be rescheduled.
As things stand, McGregor seems to his eyes on opportunities outside of the Octagon – recently declaring that he intended to run for the Irish presidency, and causing Chandler to believe that the fight may never happen.
Chandler vs Charles Oliveira
Chandler would get the chance to make history when he stepped into the octagon to face Charles Oliveira in just his second fight in the promotion at UFC 262.
Despite dropping ‘Do Bronx’ in the opening round, Chandler failed to capitalize on the momentum and was subsequently knocked out by the Brazilian superstar in the second.
The pair faced off once again in the co-main event of UFC 309 in November 2024, with Chandler losing via unanimous decision.
Chandler vs Tony Ferguson
One of the most brutal knockouts in the history of the UFC, Michael Chandler faced veteran Tony Ferguson back at UFC 274 in 2022 – delivering a front kick flush to the chin of ‘El Cucuy’ just 17 seconds into the second round.
Dustin Poirier vs Chandler
Another ‘Fight of the Night’ winner, Dustin Poirier versus Michael Chandler was an absolute barn-burner from the get-go, with the momentum of the fight swinging back and forth only for ‘The Diamond’ to secure a rear naked choke in the third.
- Who is Dustin Poirier? All you need to know about UFC’s legendary Lightweight ‘Diamond’
Justin Gaethje vs Chandler
An all-out war that rightfully won ‘Fight of the Year’ for 2021, this back-and-forth clash with Justin Gaethje was an instant classic from the opening bell right through until the final horn.
Chandler vs Eddie Alvarez
Michael Chandler’s epic lightweight title rivalry with Eddie Alvarez will go down as one of the best in Bellator history; with ‘Iron’ earning a submission win in their first fight in 2011, before ‘The Underground King’ got his revenge two years later by way of split decision.
Michael Chandler high school wrestling
Throughout high school, Chandler continued to prove his worth in the intense world of amateur wrestling and after enrolling at the University of Missouri, became a four-time NCAA Division 1 Qualifier.
Yet that was by far the end of Chandler’s journey on the mat, earning a D1 All-American honor with an outstanding overall record of 100-40, including a 31-15 record against ‘Big 12’ opponents.
Michael Chandler tequila
In December 2023, Chandler announced that he’d partnered with Hiatus Tequila, investing in the company both financially and promotionally as he appeared at various marketing events across North America.
Chandler commented on the partnership, via The Spirits Business, explaining how “I’ve always been a fan of Hiatus Tequila’s commitment to traditional methods and its naturally clean, complex flavors.
“I’m excited to be a part of the Hiatus family and help bring the brand’s exceptional Tequila to a wider audience… With this partnership, my core values will ring true. I am not just an MMA fighter but a true businessman.
“I look forward to helping Hiatus Tequila grow by getting out into the market, meeting the fans and educating them on what I believe is the best Tequila on the planet.”
Michael Chandler and Ric Flair
Back in 2023, a video hit the internet in which it appeared as though Chandler had gotten into a heated altercation with wrestling legend Ric Flair at a bar, in which various insults were exchanged and even some ‘hands’.
If it wasn’t obvious from the opening seconds, the whole thing was staged as both Chandler and Flair have been friends for a number of years, with ‘Iron’ himself a long-time fan of professional wrestling.
Is Chelsea Chandler related to Michael Chandler?
No. Despite sharing the last name, UFC fighter Chelsea Chandler is not related to ‘Iron’ Michael Chandler.