Michael Chandler reacts to ex-rival Patricio Freire’s UFC signing

Michael Chandler understands why Patricio Freire also wanted to sign with the UFC.

Like Chandler, Freire (36-7 MMA, 0-0 UFC) went from a Bellator staple to now a UFC fighter. Ever since PFL acquired Bellator, numerous fighters have grown frustrated with their lack of activity – including Freire, which led to his release and eventual signing with the UFC.

Chandler (23-9 MMA, 2-4 UFC) lost his Bellator lightweight title to “Pitbull” by first-round TKO in May 2019 but beat his brother, Patricky Freire, twice. The former three-time Bellator lightweight champion said Freire will notice a massive difference now that he’s a UFC fighter.

“Not surprised,” Chandler said on “The Ariel Helwani Show” of Freire’s UFC signing. “Not surprised at him or the laundry list of everybody who is tweeting at Donn Davis and PFL, and before that Bellator. It just continues to solidify that the UFC is the only place for mixed martial arts. Take it from me. Take it from a guy like Patricio ‘Pitbull.’ Two years from now, a year from now, sit him down on your show and have him answer honestly what the difference is and how much bigger it (UFC) is, how much more significant it is here.

“If he plays his cards right and does his job, how much more lucrative it is. It’s very interesting. I have the best perspective of anybody in mixed martial arts when it comes to the significance of the UFC, and I love the UFC not because it’s the UFC. I love the UFC because I know what the opposite of the UFC is. I know what it’s like to be outside of the UFC.”

Freire will make his UFC debut on the same card Chandler competes next. Chandler meets Paddy Pimblett in the UFC 314 co-main event April 12 in Miami, with “Pitbull” taing on former interim featherweight champion Yair Rodriguez (16-5 MMA, 10-4 UFC).

“Honestly, I haven’t seen a fight. I haven’t seen one of his fights in a very long time, so I don’t know where his skillset is at,” Chandler said. “All I do know is I wish him well. There was a little bit of animosity, a little bit of bad blood. I think a lot of that actually stemmed from my discontent with where I was in my life, knowing that I was stuck in Bellator and wanted to get out. So I needed something to blame it on, and sometimes my opponents were that.

“And Patricio was an easy target because I had beat his brother and he F-U’d me when I stood on the cage. And I said something about family, obviously because I thought his brother, they are by definition family. So when I used the word family, I think he was thinking I was talking about his wife and his kids and his mom and his aunts and all that stuff. So, it became language barrier. Unfortunate set of circumstances, but I wish him well. I think he’s dynamic. I think he’s explosive.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 314.