"Someday, it will come out" - Michael Chandler recalls apologizing to wife Brie for mystery reason after UFC 262 loss, confesses he 'let her down'
Michael Chandler will make a return to the octagon for the first time in two years when he faces Charles Oliveira in the co-main event of UFC 309 on Nov. 16. It will be a rematch of their UFC 262 clash for the lightweight title, which 'do Bronx' secured in Round 2 via KO.
Ahead of Chandler's return, he was interviewed by Ariel Helwani, where he shared a cryptic reflection on his defeat to Oliveira in 2021. An image of 'Iron' looking into the crowd after losing the fight was shown during the interview, which prompted the American to share a cryptic reflection of the moment.
The 38-year-old stated that he was apologizing to his wife when the photo was taken but refrained from specifying the reasons why. He said:
"There was 20,000 people in the arena and all I saw was her. I remember just apologizing to her in that moment for reasons that she did not know. I was going through something that she did not know about because I needed to protect her from it because we were away from each other. She knew it was a different, 'I'm sorry.' Because I knew I let myself down and I let her down."
Helwani asked Chandler if he could elaborate on the reason for the apology and 'Iron' replied:
"No, but someday it will come out. But let's just say it was the worst camp of my life."
Catch Michael Chandler's comments below (44:00):
Charles Oliveira isn't buying Michael Chandler's claim of being a changed fighter
Michael Chandler is one of the most exciting MMA fighters of all time. But even more so in Round 1, where the American deploys his explosivity and power to full effect.
The Missouri native has been criticized for not fighting with intelligence, or following a game plan in the past. But according to Chandler, that has all changed, and he has referred to himself as "Chandler 2.0" ahead of his UFC 309 bout.
But Charles Oliveira recently shared his skepticism at Chandler's claims while speaking to ESPN MMA, saying:
"All you have to do is watch [Chandler's] fights, that's who he is... He's always going to go forward, he can't help but be himself. It's like saying Charles is going to back down or walk backwards. I am never... That's who [Chandler] is always going to be. Always very explosive, always very aggressive, a guy who's got a very strong first round." [Translater by Fabiano Buskei]."
Check out Charles Oliveira discussing Michael Chandler below (5:15):