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Champ Brent Primus? Patricio Freire? Paul Daley? Michael Chandler has future options

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – During the lead-up to his Bellator 192 fight with Goiti Yamauchi, a lot of the questions directed toward Michael Chandler were in regard to the fight that wasn’t happening then: a title rematch with champion Brent Primus.

Here’s the storyline: This past June, Primus beat Chandler to take Bellator’s 155-pound crown. The TKO win, however, didn’t come without controversy, which was rooted in the fighters’ disagreement about the nature of the injury that caused the stoppage.

For a while, it seemed a rematch was next. But, tired of waiting, Chandler (17-4 MMA, 14-4 BMMA) refocused. Paired with up-and-comer Yamauchi (22-4 MMA, 8-3 BMMA) instead, the ex-champ made his feelings about Primus (8-0 MMA, 6-0 BMMA) clear.

On Saturday, Chandler put on a brilliant display in route to a unanimous-decision win over Yamauchi. And later he explained why it didn’t necessarily mean a new title shot is next.

“I wanted the rematch,” Chandler said. “Ten days after Madison Square Garden (which hosted the Bellator NYC event), I ran five miles. I said, ‘Book the rematch.’ I was talking to the guys, and the so-called champion was not ready. He was on maternity leave – and it just so happens I adopted a child.

“I moved all the way across the country, and I built a house. I can have a lot of stuff going on. We are professionals. And we are men. It’s time to step into the cage and put the belt on the line. And he wasn’t willing to do that. So there was a little bit of a bad taste in my mouth for that situation.”

Chandler, however, clarified a few things. His stance should in no way be interpreted as a sign of disrespect toward the Bellator belt, which he said he was proud to carry for two separate reigns he’s had in his more than seven-year stint competing for Bellator.

Chandler ultimately is a company man. He is certainly happy with the relationship he’s built with the promotion and is respectful of Bellator President Scott Coker, who had already said that Saturday’s lightweight encounter would determine a title challenger.

So it would appear nothing is entirely off the table.

“Let’s be honest: I’ll do what I’m told, and I’ll do it in dominant fashion,” Chandler said. “We’ll have some conversations. We’ll see what happens.”

Whatever that is, though, it’s not like Chandler doesn’t have options.

“(Patricio Freirehas been calling me out on social media,” Chandler said. “I didn’t respond because obviously I had this going on. There’s the Paul Daley fight. There are some fights out there.”

It’s worth noting that Daley is not a Bellator lightweight; rather, he fights in the 170-pound division. But that doesn’t seem to be a problem for Chandler, who’d addressed his desire to venture into the upper weight class in the past.

That idea, Chandler said, remains pretty much alive. In fact, it will just make his life easier. Ultimately, it will just take the right fight – and, of course, the proper conversations with Bellator brass.

“I will find out what (the California State Athletic Commission) says after this,” Chandler said. “I think I was a little bit overweight for their weight-check thing, so we’ll see what happens. I’m a big 155-er. The only reason I can make 155 is that there’s not a man alive that’s more disciplined than I am. For eight weeks, I forego every single thing that I want to, nutrition-wise and drinking-wise.

“I put my body through a living hell on Earth to make sure I get my body fat down. I keep my lean muscle. I can push out the water at the end, and that’s why I’ve always made 155. Because I’m disciplined. If I wanted to enjoy my life, 170 would be a phenomenal weight class for me. So we will see.”

For complete coverage of Bellator 192, check out the MMA Events section of the site.

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