That’s rare and admirable, but not surprising from Chandler, a man many believed would leave the Octagon with the UFC lightweight championship belt around his waist that night in Houston. But even now, nearly six months after the defeat, the 35-year-old refuses to make excuses.
“I know I did everything possible during training camp in preparation, I know that I have a champion’s mentality, I know I was prepared, I know my coaches got me prepared, I know the fight was going well, and I got caught.”
In this sport, that’s all it takes, and after a strong first round against the Brazilian, Chandler got tagged by Oliveira and finished 19 seconds into the second stanza. It hurt, but the Missouri native refused to let it deter him from one day getting another crack at the crown.
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“I’ve been really thinking about this after this last fight and I’ve said it a couple times – you can’t enjoy the spoils and the fruits of your labor and the bright lights and the platform and the money and the lives we get to live – you can’t enjoy all of that and take all that in stride without also taking in stride the fact that you’re gonna fall short, the fact that you’re gonna lose here and there, the fact that even if everything fell perfect and the script couldn’t have been written any more perfect for me.”
He pauses, realizing that if he beat Oliveira, it would have been the culmination of an MMA journey that began in 2009, saw him become a Bellator champion and one of the best fighters competing outside of the UFC, and then when he came to the big show, a first-round knockout of Dan Hooker landed him one win away from a world title.
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“This was supposed to be my fairytale accomplishment,” Chandler continues. “But even though everything was perfect, there’s always a chance that it’s not gonna work out. So you can’t take the good things in stride without also taking the bad things in stride. I love this sport, I love the UFC, I love fighting for the UFC, I love the opportunities that I’ve had over the last 12 months, so I’m just enjoying it and enjoying the process, and I can’t wait to go out there and compete again.”
On Saturday, he gets his chance in one of the most highly anticipated fights of the year (or any year, for that matter) against fellow 155-pound action hero Justin Gaethje. For most, it would be a 15-minute opportunity to erase the memory of a painful loss, but Chandler doesn’t want to forget the setbacks. He wants to use them as an opportunity to learn and grow. Those are important lessons, not just for him, but for his son Hap.