Michael Chandler- MILITAR MINDSET
An outstanding wrestler during his time at school then college, Michael Chandler is now one of the top mixed martial artists in the world. He competed in the mixed martial arts (MMA) organisation Bellator for nearly 10 years.
During his time there he became the Bellator lightweight world champion on 3 different occasions. He has now recently moved over to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). The MMA organisation that many consider the most elite out of them all.
Getting his UFC career off to a fantastic start by defeating Dan Hooker, one of the best active UFC lightweights in the world.
Chandler now has the chance to fulfil another dream this weekend as he competes for the UFC lightweight world title against the Brazilian Jiu-jitsu expert Charles Oliveira.
Despite the ups and downs he has had, he always been able to dust himself off and come back stronger. He has definitely shown that has the MILITAR MINDSET!
Check out this motivational video we made, showing how Michael has been able to reach the pinnacle of the sport!
How has Chandler displayed the MILITAR MINDSET?
Chandler has been able to show us how strong his MINDSET is. He always thinks positively, no matter the situation he finds himself in. As a wrestler, Chandler was hugely successful. But that doesn’t mean it was easy.
There were fights he won, fights he lost. From those that he lost he had to come back stronger and learn from the mistakes he made. He always believes in himself and knows he can continue to improve. This was the same in his mixed martial arts career.
Becoming a three-time Bellator lightweight champion is an incredible achievement. As he won it three times, that meant that he lost it too. Through these losses he came back to win it again and again. Chandler didn’t let the losses define him or deter him from his goals.
Through adversity Chandler become better. He has told us: ‘Life is too short and too sweet to complain about the silly things’ Teaching us to not worry about things too much. We can see from this statement that his mind is focused on achieving his aspirations.
He does not entertain any negativity. Making sure he is always focused on his dreams so that he has a clear vision to achieve them. You must stay positive and strong mentally when chasing your own dreams. Through the failures you overcome, you will become stronger.
Chandler is INSPIRING us all with his journey!
Chandler has been able to INSPIRE many people. Showing us all that if you really want something in life. You can do it through hard work and dedication.
Chandler was a fantastic wrestler and competed in the NCAA Division 1. He won silver medals in the Big 12 Championships in both 2008 and 2009. Immediately after his college wrestling career, he turned his sights onto MMA.
Starting off as a welterweight, then fighting a few catchweight bouts, Chandler started to fight regularly at lightweight. He was hugely successful in Bellator becoming a three-weight world champion.
At the age of 34, Chandler finally made his move to the pinnacle of MMA organisations, the UFC. Though he has already achieved great things in both wrestling and his Bellator career, Chandler keeps working and aims to fulfil more of his dreams.
Becoming a UFC champion is a dream for all who compete in mixed martial arts. It is considered the highest achievement you can accomplish in the game. Chandler has his sights set on fulfilling this huge accomplishment.
As displayed in the header image Chandler stated: ‘Don’t focus on the wins and losses… focus your efforts on performing to your full potential.’ Teaching us that wins and losses will happen. But it is all about achieving your potential.
Chandler inspires people by showing us all his journey so far and how he is striving to fulfil his own potential. Making sure he achieves everything he is capable of by working constantly.
We all have potential. You must make sure to make full use of it and use it to accomplish your own aspirations.
Chandler is showing us that he is LIMITLESS!
Chandler has proved to us that he is indeed LIMITLESS! Always striving to go beyond so-called limits. The best example of this would be to look at the journey he has embarked on with his UFC career.
Having signed with the company in September 2020, Chandler won his UFC debut in January 2021 in spectacular fashion. Knocking out top lightweight contender Dan Hooker within the first round! It was a big statement that proved all his doubters wrong.
Many people thought that Chandler was biting off more than he could chew by joining the UFC. Especially at the age of 34. People thought he would start to deteriorate as he grew older. Not many people gave Chandler a chance against Hooker.
Believing that he would be in for a reality check facing Hooker, who was much taller than him. He put all those claims to bed with his immense performance!
Cementing himself as one of the best UFC lightweights. ‘I’m just getting better every single day and I want to be the best in the world.’ Chandler continues to aim high. He doesn’t want to be one of the best. But the absolute best!
From this we can learn to not let people’s thoughts sway you from achieving your dreams.
As long as you are fully dedicated and believe in yourself. You can achieve anything you set your mind to. Dream big. Then work your way up!
Chandler is able to find his own INNER-PEACE
Chandler continues to work towards finding his own INNER-PEACE. He is able to do this by being grateful for what he has.
Chandler is happy with what he has been able to achieve so far and in his own words says: ‘I’ve been blessed so much in my own life and I want to spread that blessing to others who need it.’ Here we can see that Chandler wants to spread the opportunities he has had to others.
It makes him happy to see other people be able to strive towards their own goals. Being presented with the blessings that will aid them along the way. Chandler also finds inner-peace through his family.
Telling us: ‘I got a wife and a son I have to fight for.’ We can see that family is important to Chandler. Through his MMA career he is able to provide them with a livelihood. This motivates him to work harder in training to perform better in his fights.
As ultimately their happiness leads to his own happiness. You must not do things for the sake of it. But for the passion you have for it. Doing this will allow you to find your own inner-peace and live a happier life.
Chandler understands the power of TIME
Chandler is able to see the importance of giving things TIME. He has been able to show patience throughout his career.
Turning pro in 2009, then becoming one of Bellator’s biggest stars with a hugely successful campaign in the organisation, he did not reach the UFC until 2020. Chandler was patient and waited for the right moment to make the move to the UFC.
He was in no rush. A good moment where Chandler was able to show time and his patience was when he first lost in his MMA career, losing the Bellator lightweight world championship. This loss was to Eddie Alvarez, via split decision in 2013.
Chandler faced some adversity in his MMA career as he went on to lose to Will Brooks twice after, going on a 3-fight losing streak. Though this was tough for Chandler, he never gave up. He was patient and continued to work hard.
He came back and went on a 3-fight win streak to win the Bellator lightweight world championship once again in 2016. Then he defended the belt once against Benson Henderson making it a 4-fight win streak, but he lost it in the next bout he had with Brent Primus in 2017.
But again, he did not panic. He came back stronger once again and won the lightweight belt for the third time, avenging his loss against Primus in 2018. Every time Chandler lost, he came back stronger.
He told us that: ‘Hard work pays off if you’re patient enough to see it through.’ Showing us that you must always stay patient. Every time he got knocked down. He came straight back up. Continuing to work hard no matter what happened.
You must be patient and give things time in your own journey towards fulfilling your dreams. Through constant work you will start to see results. There will be days where you face adversity. But you must push through!
Chandler makes sure that he stays ACTIVE
Staying ACTIVE is something that Chandler definitely does! From his days as a wrestler, to becoming a mixed martial artist, Chandler is always training hard. He realises that for him to be able to reach his full potential he must give the sport his all.
He continues to look for ways to improve himself so that every time he steps into the octagon, he is better than he was the last time. Chandler usually aims to fight at least 2 to 3 times a year.
Making sure he has a training camp before his fights so that he is in peak physical and mental condition leading up to it. ‘It really has been just take it one day a time, one fight at a time, one training camp at a time, one year at a time.’ Chandler makes sure that he completes his smaller goals in order to fulfil his bigger dreams.
He is always taking it day by day, staying active and looking to continuously improve himself. As he states: ‘I train my butt off every single day.’ Through the hard work he puts in day in and day out, he knows it will only aid him on his journey towards his dream.
Make sure that you are staying active and always looking to improve. Every day make sure that you make a definite step towards your goals.
Chandler is RELENTLESS!
Chandler has proven to us all that he is RELENTLESS! No matter how many times he fails, he always comes back better. Through the adversities he faces, he learns from them and develops himself to become a better fighter. But also a better human being.
He is relentless in his pursuit to chasing greatness as he eyes up the UFC lightweight championship belt. Though people have doubted him, he doesn’t let it sway him from his ultimate dream. The doubters just fuel him even more.
Showing all that anything is possible when you really do want it! Chandler has stated ‘I’m a force to be reckoned with.’ Reinforcing how no one should doubt him.
He knows what he is capable of and believes he has what it takes to make it to the absolute pinnacle of the sport. He continues to put the work in as he aims to make this dream a reality this weekend!
You must be relentless on your journey towards your own dreams. Don’t stop working till you get there!
Michael Chandler is the epitome of never giving up. He has continued to work and work till he finally achieved his goals. Giving up wasn’t an option. We can all learn from his mindset and embed this into our own lives.
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