Michael Chandler says he’s no stranger to adversity.
Chandler (23-11 MMA, 2-6 UFC) was knocked out by Mauricio Ruffy on Sunday at UFC Freedom 250 from the White House in Washington DC. The former Bellator champion and UFC title challenger, who was a big underdog going into the fight, hasn’t gotten his hand raised since knocking out Tony Ferguson in May 2022.
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Chandler released a long video statement on his social media addressing the loss.
“Obviously the fight did not go my way, but I’m in good spirits,” Chandler said on his Instagram. “I’m happy, I am healthy, I’m hard to kill. I’m impossible to kill. I’m impossible to defeat because I’m so truly blessed. … Physically I’m good, a little banged up. I got punched in the ear. I’m banged up in the ear, got punched right in the ear and ripped it open.
“Hats off to Mauricio Ruffy. He was a tough puzzle to solve, to get going in there. He’s long, he’s fast, he’s accurate, he’s a good striker, and he landed the shots that ended the fight. Massive thank you to the UFC for the opportunity. Massive thank you to Dana for being a visionary who does one-of-one, crazy, never-to-be-seen again type of events. But, as I said, we’re happy, we’re healthy, we’re hard to kill.”
Chandler now has lost four fights in a row, three of them by stoppage, making it the toughest stretch of his career at 40 years old.
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“You have these moments in life where everyone’s watching how you’re going to respond, and I promise you, just as I always have, I will continue to respond like a champion,” Chandler said. “It stinks because I know I prepared. I promise you I prepared to the best of my ability, left no stone unturned in my preparation. I can rest easy knowing that I did every single thing that I possibly could in this training camp.”
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Michael Chandler after UFC Freedom 250 loss: ‘I’m impossible to kill’
