"Something bad was going to happen"- Michael Chandler recalls haunting vision of his wife before a fight
UFC's resident action man 'Iron' Michael Chandler is set to make his return to action after more than two years of being away from the octagon. The American powerhouse will rematch former UFC lightweight kingpin Charles 'Do Bronx' Oliveira in the co-main event of UFC 309.
Being one of the toughest men to ever lace 4oz gloves, Chandler has earned his moniker, 'Iron', for his sheer determination despite the punishment he receives inside the cage.
In a recent episode of UFC Connected on YouTube, however, 'Iron' softened his heart for a moment in front of cameras. Recounting a vulnerable moment ahead of one of his title defenses in Bellator years ago, Michael Chandler held back tears talking about a vision he had of his wife, Brie:
"In 2019, I'm defending the title in a former organization. I remember pulling up to the arena and getting there and going to the locker room. For some reason I had this feeling that something bad was going to happen. For some reason, that fight, there was something different. And I just had this weird reoccurring vision of Brie on the edge of the bed [holds back tears]. In my mind, she was all by herself. There was this feeling of loneliness that I did not want her to have."
Chandler recounted in vivid detail the setting and feel of the vision, prompting him to call his wife that night:
"So I called her and said, 'Hey sweetie, I just want to make sure you're okay. I also want you to know that everything is good, no matter what happens."
Watch Michael Chandler talk about it here (2:21):
Michael Chandler's wife, Brie, talks about how they support each other in career and in life
In the same UFC Connected YouTube video, Dr. Brie Chandler spoke about how she and her husband supported each other through the numerous battles they had to go through, whether it was in the medical field or inside the cage.
She said (1:39):
"It was refreshing to find somebody who was so supportive of me and my dreams and goals and I knew I needed that and I had wanted that for so long. It was easy for me to be supportive of him. And he needed that as well. I can be supportive to him and he can have those moments that he's like, 'this was it and this is what it's all about'."
Dr. Chandler added that she's willing to be by her husband's side, win, lose or draw. She believes that regardless of the outcome, her husband will always learn something in the attempt at being great, and she wants to be there to learn it with him.
UFC 309 takes place inside the iconic Madisoon Square Garden in New York City this weekend, November 16.