Not everybody is a fan of Michael Chandler’s motivational speeches, especially not former UFC Lightweight Champion Rafael Dos Anjos.
Chandler, a former champion in Bellator, had hoped to recreate a title win in the UFC when he finally burst onto the scene in 2021. However, the American failed to do so in his sole title fight with Charles Oliveira, being submitted in the second round of their UFC 262 headliner.
Now 38, Chandler has been chasing more money than legacy in a super-fight of sorts versus Conor McGregor, which was originally scheduled to take place last weekend at UFC 303, had it not been for a broken toe that forced McGregor out of the bout.
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According to Chandler, he can now either wait for McGregor a little bit longer or fight UFC Lightweight Champion Islam Makhachev for his title in October.
Dos Anjos, a former lightweight champion himself, doesn’t really understand Chandler’s catchphrase of “see you at the top” if he’s not going to take this opportunity and seize the title shot against the best in the world.
“How much is the opportunity to become a world champion worth?” Dos Anjos wrote on ‘X’ on Tuesday. “For some of us, there is no price on an UFC belt. Mine is certainly not for sale. Chandler should stop his “see you at the top” motivational speeches. It’s embarrassing…”
It didn’t take Chandler long to respond to Dos Anjos, who he’s currently eight spots ahead of in the UFC Lightweight rankings.
“Cool story….See you at the top!!!!” Chandler replied to RDA.
“I’ve been up here buddy, haven’t seen you yet,” the former UFC Champion clapped back at Chandler.
In 2015, Rafael Dos Anjos dethroned then-champion Anthony Pettis to win the UFC Lightweight title and successfully defended it in a rematch with Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone the same year. The following year at UFC 196, RDA was scheduled to meet Conor McGregor in his own super-fight between the reigning featherweight and lightweight champions, but Dos Anjos withdrew due to a broken foot.
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McGregor insulted the Brazilian for backing out on two weeks’ notice, with Dos Anjos finally getting his licks in all these years later after McGregor’s recent withdrawal against Michael Chandler.
“That’s the difference between me and you Conor, you finally got exposed,” Dos Anjos wrote on ‘X‘ weeks ago. “You got a pinky toe injury while I got a broken foot….”
That’s the difference between me and you Conor, you finally got exposed. You got a pinky toe injury while I got a broken foot. Let me know what you guys think on the comments below. https://t.co/q79Do4eLnL pic.twitter.com/iiH1RRMKIS
— Rafael dos Anjos (@RdosAnjosMMA) June 21, 2024
We never got to see Rafael Dos Anjos defend his lightweight title against Conor McGregor, with the champion falling to former Bellator Champ Eddie Alvarez by first-round knockout in summer 2016.
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