"Reckless abandon" - Michael Chandler makes a valiant promise ahead of Justin Gaethje fight at UFC 268

Michael Chandler recently promised fans that he will be going into his fight against Justin Gaethje as the aggressor, forcing 'The Highlight' to take the first step back. The lightweight bout is scheduled for UFC 268, which is slated to take place on November 6 at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Fans have been awaiting the UFC 268 card ever since the clash between Michael Chandler and Justin Gaethje was confirmed. The event will host two title fights, with the Kamaru Usman vs. Colby Covington rematch headlining the card. The PPV promises to be a memorable event with guaranteed fireworks.

In the buildup to their clash, Michael Chandler took to Twitter to offer fans a preview of the fight. Claiming that Gaethje will be the first to track back, Chandler asserted that he was going into the fight with one goal; to win.

"Here is a promise to you all...I’m coming forward with reckless abandon. He will take the first backward step. #ufc268" Michael Chandler wrote on Twitter

Here is a promise to you all...I’m coming forward with reckless abandon. He will take the first backward step. #ufc268

— Michael Chandler (@MikeChandlerMMA) September 9, 2021

This comes after Chandler replied to a comment from Gaethje by stating that the first person to take a step back would be deemed a "timid soul."

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Teammates jump to Michael Chandler's support

Michael Chandler fights out of the Sanford MMA gym in Deerfield Beach, Florida. The gym is home to a myriad of meritorious fighters. The likes of Gilbert Burns, Derek Brunson and more fight under the banner of Sanford MMA.

In the wake of Chandler's promise on Twitter, some of them took to Twitter in a bid to offer a few words of encouragement and faith for their teammate.

Can’t wait 🙏🏾 https://t.co/hiY74fHU20

— Derek Brunson (@DerekBrunson) September 9, 2021

Gilbert Burns and Derek Brunson hopped online to rally behind their Sanford MMA teammate.

👀👀👀👀😤😤😤😤😤😤😤 Let’s go @MikeChandlerMMA https://t.co/O2l2KfC1X3

— GILBERT BURNS DURINHO (@GilbertDurinho) September 9, 2021

Justin Gaethje's last outing in the octagon saw him stake his claim for the UFC lightweight throne in an unsuccessful effort against Khabib Nurmagomedov back in October 2020.

Michael Chandler finds himself in a similar position. Coming off of a loss at the hands of Charles Oliveira in a fight where the lightweight strap hung in the balance, Chandler is now looking to make his way back into championship contention. While Chandler seems confident at this stage, overcoming the challenge presented by Justin Gaethje is easier said than done.