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Michael Chandler has asserted that it doesn’t get much better than Ric Flair, stating that he’d like to see The Nature Boy accompany him in his walkout/entrance to his next UFC fight.
Chandler made his UFC debut at UFC 257 (January 23, 2021), defeating top-tier UFC lightweight contender Dan Hooker via first-round TKO. In the post-fight Octagon interview, Michael Chandler cut a brilliant WWE-style promo aimed at everyone in the UFC lightweight division.
Chandler’s promo drew heavily from Ric Flair’s iconic 1992 Royal Rumble promo, which captivated fans in the MMA and professional wrestling communities worldwide.
Subsequently, Ric Flair himself spoke to Michael Chandler over a video call and congratulated the UFC fighter on his big win at UFC 257. On that note, Michael Chandler has now revealed that Ric Flair could accompany him the next time he makes the walk to the Octagon.
On an edition of Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show, Chandler stated:
“And I have it on video. You know, who knows if it’ll ever happen. But he (Ric Flair) said he was gonna call Dana (White) and ask if we can make it happen. But I think we might end up with Ric Flair walking out with me.
“I said, ‘but you have to wear that red robe’. He had that red robe back there. You’ve gotta have the right walkout with me. So, we’ll see what happens, man. You know, obviously, hopefully, a friendship was born that day. He (Ric Flair) is a living legend, man. What an honor, man. I’m just living a dream right now. And really excited about where this road’s gonna take us.”
Furthermore, Ariel Helwani once again addressed the Ric Flair topic and asked if Michael Chandler would be okay with the wrestling legend walking him out to his UFC fight. Chandler responded, saying:
“Well, yeah, of course. I mean, you know, it’s kind of – as a man, as an entertainer, Ric Flair, it doesn’t really get much better than Ric Flair.” (*H/T Sportskeeda for the transcription)
Fans had already been calling for Ric Flair to accompany Michael Chandler to his next UFC fight. However, as of this time, whether or not Chandler will walk out with The Nature Boy remains to be seen.
Michael Chandler is aiming for the UFC lightweight title
The MMA community has lately been rife with speculation as to whether Michael Chandler could receive the next shot at the UFC lightweight title.
Chandler facing Dustin Poirier for the vacant UFC lightweight title – assuming that current champion Khabib Nurmagomedov vacates the title soon – is one of the rumored matchups that are yet to come to fruition.
Regardless, the belief is that Michael Chandler will indeed receive another high-profile fight, if not a UFC lightweight title fight, the next time he steps inside the octagon.
