Michael Chandler will be looking to become the sixth fighter in Bellator history to be a two-time champion tonight as he will meet Patricky “Pitbull” Freire for the vacant lightweight title in the co-main event of Bellator 157: Dynamite 2 in St. Louis.
The Bellator lightweight title became vacant last month when Bellator parted ways with the previous champion Will Brooks and the promotion revealed that Chandler and Pitbull would meet for the title on tonight’s fight card.
For anyone that has been watching Bellator since the beginning of the company, Chandler and Pitbull are familiar names. This will be the 15th Bellator fight for Chandler and this will be the 16th Bellator fight for Pitbull, which will tie him for the most fights in Bellator history.
Along with both fighters being long time veterans of the promotion, this will also be the second time that they will meet each other. In the first meeting at Bellator 44, Chandler won by decision to win the Season Four lightweight tournament and he went on to defeat Eddie Alvarez to become the Bellator lightweight champion.
Tonight will mark the seventh Bellator title fight for Chandler, which will tie him with Pat Curran for the most title fights in Bellator history. With this being a familiar scene for Chandler, are preparations any different this time around?
“I think ever since I started the sport, I haven’t changed much in my preparations,” Chandler told The MMA Report during the Bellator 157 Media Conference Call. “Whether it’s a title fight or whether it was a regular fight or whether it was the tournament fights. For me, it’s always the constant pursuit to just get better. Even thought during these last two camps that I had to train for. One I was about to fight Josh Thomson and not I am fighting Patricky. I don’t really focus a ton on them. I know a lot of what they bring to the table. I have seen Patricky fight a bunch of times.”
“I have seen the tapes. I have seen his tendencies, his mannerisms and I know excatly when I can exploit him,” Chandler continued. “But mainly, I focus on myself. Especially with this training camp. I was at a new place learning a new striking system and getting back to that Neil Melanson grappling system that I have been away from a little bit for the last year or so. I am excited. I am prepared in every aspect wherever this fight might go and I am excited to go out there and complete.”