Michael Chandler spent Monday at the WWE Performance Center. False Finish reports the UFC lightweight was at the Orlando facility. The specifics are unknown.
He has been open about wanting the option. Chandler appeared on Raw in February 2024, and told The Schmo Show at Fanatics Fest in June 2025 that conversations had already happened.
I was talking to WWE, talking to Triple H about my WWE contract. So we’re trying to make that happen.
He knows I’m a fan of WWE and him and the brand. He’s obviously a fan of what I bring to the table from an entertainment standpoint, what I can do on the microphone. So it’s always fun conversations. Who knows if anything is ever going to happen, but he knows I want that door to be open and I think he wants that door to be open too.
The timing invites conclusions the facts do not yet support. Chandler last fought at UFC Freedom 250 on June 14, on the White House lawn, and was stopped by Mauricio Ruffy at 4:29 of the first round. It was his fourth straight defeat and left him 2-6 in the UFC. He has not won since knocking out Tony Ferguson in 2022 and is 40 years old.
He also said afterwards that he is not retiring.
One thing worth noting is that a move would not be a defection. TKO owns both UFC and WWE, so Chandler switching would be an internal transfer rather than a jump, the same structure that has moved names between Zuffa Boxing and WWE this year.
Chandler is 23-11 overall and a three-time Bellator lightweight champion. He has never held a UFC title, losing his only shot to Charles Oliveira in 2021.
