Where does UFC lightweight Michael Chandler train?

UFC lightweight Michael Chandler trains under the tutelage of former Dutch kickboxer Henri Hooft at Sanford MMA in Deerfield Beach, Florida. "Iron" trains alongside many notable athletes, including the likes of Gilbert "Durinho" Burns (UFC welterweight) and Aung La Nsang (ONE Championship middleweight).

Henri Hooft, who previously ran the Blackzilians gym, inked a deal with health giant Sanford MMA and rebranded his Hard Knocks 365 gym to Sanford MMA in 2019. Subsequently, the gym shifted its base from Fort Lauderdale to Deerfield Beach, and a new training facility along with Sanford Health Clinic was opened in August 2020.

"We’re now sponsored by them [Sanford Health] and we’ll get top of the range medical assistance; we’ve got doctors following us around. Everything is on hand; we’ve got a brand-new gym set up in Florida," said Aung La Nsang in an interview with Body Lock MMA.

The Sanford MMA gym is a 10,000-sq-ft training site which is said to roughly include 40 fighters, the majority of whom are UFC, Bellator MMA, and ONE Championship fighters. The gym's illustrious roster helped it secure a "Gym of the Year" nomination from the World MMA Awards in 2020.

Additionally, the Sanford Pentagon regularly hosts Legacy Fighting Alliance events for viewing on UFC Fight Pass. The facility, according to Sanford Health's website, would like to include spectators for such events once the lockdown restrictions are fully lifted.

With @MikeChandlerMMA at @MmaSanford ! Good pads session !nice work with master @henrihooft 💥The best coming ;-) pic.twitter.com/mTtksGHMOQ

— Benoit Zede (@benoit_zede) April 6, 2021

Michael Chandler's coach talks about his upcoming title bout

Former Bellator lightweight king Michael Chandler made his UFC debut at UFC 257 in January 2021. The 35-year-old smashed his way into the top-5 with a memorable first-round knockout over surging lightweight contender Dan Hooker.

Following a gripping post-fight promo, the UFC brass have decided to award Michael Chandler with a title shot against Charles "Do Bronx" Oliveira. The vacant title will be on the line at UFC 262 in Houston, Texas.

Speaking with MMA Junkie recently, Henri Hooft revealed that he was not expecting a title shot for Michael Chandler merely two fights into his UFC contract -

"Nobody was expecting that. I mean the first fight was special. Of course, it was very special for me because I was in Bellator for so long with [Michael Chandler]," Henri Hooft revealed in an interview with MMA Junkie."