Michael Chandler reacts to video of him grappling with Kamaru Usman - "Nothing like flowing with my dude"

Michael Chandler (left), Kamaru Usman (right) [Image credits: @mikechandlermma and @usman84kg via Instagram]
Michael Chandler (left), Kamaru Usman (right) [Image credits: @mikechandlermma and @usman84kg via Instagram]

Before Kamaru Usman left his old MMA gym in Florida, he was a training partner of former three-time Bellator lightweight champion Michael Chandler. The pair wrestled together for several years and shared one another’s highs and lows.

While Chandler no longer hangs with Usman on the wrestling mats, he recently said there's nothing like rolling with the reigning UFC welterweight champion.

Old training footage of the duo was recently shared by MMAUncensored on social media. Reacting to the video, 'Iron' commented:

"Nothing like flowing with my dude"
Chander comments on training footage
Chander comments on training footage

Watch Michael Chandler train with Kamaru Usman in the video below:

Chandler and Usman trained together at Stanford MMA. 'The Nigerian Nightmare' left the Florida-based gym to train in Colorado under head coach Trevor Wittman.


Michael Chandler hopes to get back into title contention with win over Tony Ferguson

Michael Chandler has been a must-see attraction since arriving in the UFC. Despite suffering back-to-back losses in the promotion, his stock has gone through the roof with his thrilling performances in the octagon.

After an epic back-and-forth war with Justin Gaethje, 'Iron' is hoping to get back into the title picture by securing a win over expected next opponent Tony Ferguson. Speaking on ESPN’s DC & RC show, Chandler said:

"Do I think I will automatically make myself the No. 1 contender by beating Tony Ferguson or winning my next fight? I don’t think so under normal circumstances, but these are not normal circumstances."

Watch Michael Chandler's full conversation on the DC & RC show below:

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Dana White recently revealed his promotion is targeting a bout between Chandler and Ferguson, although it hasn't been made official yet.

'Iron' and 'El Cucuy' were rumored to share the octagon at UFC 254 for the 35-year-old's UFC debut fight, but the bout never happened. Instead, Chandler served as a backup for the lightweight title main event.

While a clash between these lightweights promises to be nothing short of fireworks, a loss for either man would be a devastating blow to their careers.

Chandler has gone 1-2 since making his UFC debut, while Ferguson is on a three-fight losing streak in the promotion. The current run has put 'El Cucuy' on a drastic downward spiral. He had won 12 straight fights prior to the skid.

Ferguson last competed in the octagon at UFC 262, the same fight card which saw Chandler headline against Charles Oliveira for the vacant lightweight title. While the UFC veteran fell short against Beneil Dariush, the relative newcomer suffered defeat at the hands of 'Do Bronx'.

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Edited by Harvey Leonard