"It was an enjoyable night" - Michael Chandler recalls watching Evander Holyfield vs. Vitor Belfort live in Florida
Michael Chandler witnessed the Evander Holyfield vs. Vitor Belfort card live at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida.
Former two-division undisputed champion Holyfield, 58, was making a comeback to boxing after 10 years away from the ring. He lost to former UFC star Belfort in the very first round of the main event.
Triller, the organizers of the fight, faced heavy criticism from fans, pundits and athletes on social media for staging the matchup given Holyfield's age. 'The Real Deal' stepped in on short notice to replace Oscar De La Hoya. 'The Golden Boy' withdrew from the crossover clash after testing positive for COVID-19.
During his chat with journalist Ariel Helwani on the latest edition of The MMA Hour, former three-time Bellator lightweight champion Michael Chandler weighed in on the event as a live spectator at the venue.
"Before the main event and co-main, there was some really good boxing involving legit fighters. To see Holyfield get hit that hard and fall and Tito Ortiz getting knocked out cold (by Anderson Silva), which we haven't seen much, it was bad. But they (Triller) put on a good event. There was some music. I'm happy that it was less R-rated than the first Triller event with Jake Paul and Ben Askren because when I watched that on TV, I was like 'goodness, gracious, man!' It was good to be there live, it was fun. It was an enjoyable night and I'm glad I went," said Michael Chandler.
Watch Michael Chandler in conversation with Ariel Helwani during The MMA Hour below:
Michael Chandler will take on Justin Gaethje at UFC 268 in November
'Iron' Michael Chandler will next face Justin Gaethje in a possible lightweight title eliminator at UFC 268. The event will take place on November 6 at the historic Madison Square Garden in New York City.
Chandler is currently the No.4-ranked contender in the division. 'The Highlight', meanwhile, is ranked No.2. With champion Charles Oliveira rumored to square off against Dustin Poirier at UFC 269 in December, the Chandler vs. Gaethje fight will most likely determine the next challenger for the belt.
Here is a promise to you all...I’m coming forward with reckless abandon. He will take the first backward step. #ufc268
Michael Chandler holds a 22-6 record in his MMA career so far and is 1-1 in the UFC. He won his promotional debut against Dan Hooker in January. However, his second fight saw him lose a championship main event to to Oliveira in May. The Gaethje encounter will be his third contest of the year.