Michael Chandler sports a big belly in recent Instagram video

Michael Chandler is giving Paddy 'The Baddy' Pimblett some competition in the post-fight weight department.

The former three-time Bellator lightweight champion and UFC contender recently shared a video on Instagram where he's rocking a pretty impressive sized stomach for someone that weighed in at 155 pounds just 23 days ago.

Chandler bounced back from a disappointing but entertaining decision loss to Justin Gaethje in November 2021 to beat Tony Ferguson via knockout at UFC 274 in early May. Now he seems to be settling into a more comfortable groove for the summer, and that involves growing a nice pot belly.

(Image via Instagram / @mikechandlermma)

Of course, there's a good chance 'Iron Mike' is playing up his pooch for the camera. In another video from the same day, Chandler still looks like he's in top form and ready if the UFC calls him for a quick step-in fight at any weight class.

(Image via Instagram / @mikechandlermma)

If Michael Chandler gets his way, he may be on vacation for a while until Conor McGregor is ready to step back into the cage. Following his Performance of the Night knockout over Tony Ferguson, Chandler fired off one of the best post-fight interview speeches in memory, calling out McGregor in electrifying fashion.

Knowing that 'The Notorious' is looking to fight at welterweight moving forward, the lightweight contender even agreed to the fight at 170 pounds if that's what it took to lock things in.

---

Michael Chandler accuses fighters of "throwing rocks" at UFC over pay complaints

Michael Chandler isn't just buttering up Conor McGregor with the kind of positive hype that may get 'The Notorious' interested in a fight. He's also been carrying water for the UFC regarding their fighter pay, a contentious topic that continues to pop up in the sports headlines every few weeks.

In a recent interview with Jeremy Piven, Michael Chandler said:

"I think people think that we should make a lot more money because the UFC makes a ton fo money on their shows. Well the UFC's been at it since 1993. Dana White has had 10,000 sleepless nights when most of us fighters were just showing up to practice and going to bed and laying our head on the pilliow and getting after it and getting a decent wage for what we do."

"I always think that there's people on the lower rungs of society always throwing rocks at the people above them when it takes the same amount of energy to reach up and grab the next rung to pull themselves up."

Watch Michael Chander on the How U Livin J Piven podcast below: