After Eddie Alvarez win, Bellator 67's Michael Chandler wants to avoid 'fluke' status

Michael Chandler hasn't lost in his three-year MMA career, and he doesn't plan to start tonight in is non-title headlining bout against Akihiro Gono at Bellator 67 at Casino Rama in Rama, Ontario, Canada.

"No losses," Chandler told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio) in advance of the non-title fight. "Those aren't good. I've lost too many times in my life. I'm done with that stuff."

The main card — which airs on MTV2, while the prelims can be found on Spike.com — includes a season-six welterweight-tournament semifinal between Ben Saunders and Bryan Baker.

Despite being a four-time NCAA qualifier and All-American during a standout wrestling career at the University of Missouri, Chandler (9-0 MMA, 6-0 BFC) found himself on the losing end 40 times.

Those collegiate setbacks seem to still hold an unacceptable spot in Chandler's cerebral cortex.

While a loss against Gono (32-17-7, 0-0 BFC) wouldn't strip Chandler of his lightweight title, the 26-year-old Chandler said he's approaching the fight against the Japanese veteran as if his belt was on the line.

"I've actually gone harder and worked more intense on this fight than any I have in my whole life," Chandler said. "I know it may sound a little crazy, but this is my most intense camp, my best camp.

"I feel like I'm in the best shape of my fighting life. I'm not in as good as shape as I was in wrestling. I've always said I'm never going to be in the best shape of my life because I've already been that in college wrestling. But as far as my fighting career goes, this is the best shape I've ever been. It's the most prepared I've ever been."

That's probably a good thing considering Gono's pedigree.

Despite consecutive setbacks and losses in five of his past eight fights, the UFC and PRIDE veteran has been in big bouts against the likes of Dan Henderson, Gegard Mousasi, Chael Sonnen and Hector Lombard.

Gono — who dropped a decision to Daisuke Nakamura in February in Tokyo, in his first fight back in 18 months — will fight for the first time on North American soil since being outpointed by Jon Fitch at UFC 94 in January 2009.

"I never watched a lot of MMA stuff, so I didn't know a lot of names that people threw at me," Chandler said. "But I know he's been around a long time. A lot of the solid MMA fans who have watched the sport for a long time know who he is. It will be a good opportunity.

"I'm excited to get in there and fight a veteran like him. Actually I'm excited to fight anybody I just want to get back in the cage. It's been too long."

The Las Vegas-based Chandler hasn't fought since submitting Eddie Alvarez for the title at Bellator 58 on back in November. The "Fight of the Year" candidate put Chandler on the map.

"I've got to stay active," Chandler said. "I'm young, healthy and hungry. It wouldn't have been good for me to have one fight this year.

"If I didn't take this fight, I would have waited until this tournament ended, and they would need a couple months to recover, and it wouldn't have been until the fall probably. That would be a really, really long time to be sitting on the shelf, especially at my age with my inexperience."

Chandler said he would be receptive to a rematch with Alvarez, but Bellator's tournament format and Alvarez's current contract (he has one fight left on his contract, and UFC president Dana White has expressed interest in acquiring him like the promotion recently did with former Bellator fighter Hector Lombard) cast doubt.

"I don't care whether he stays or goes," Chandler said. "He's definitely a tough opponent, and fighting him again is something people want to see, something I'm definitely not opposed to. If it has to happen, it happens. But you have to show him the money because that's his No. 1 priority, which it should be because he has a family to support.

"For me I want to fight the best guys in the world. My goal is to be the No. 1 fighter in the world."

To reach that goal, Chandler enlisted the help of some new friends in UFC bantamweight champ Dominick Cruz and his Alliance MMA teammates.

"My boxing coach, Gil Martinez, said these guys are going to be in town, so 'Let's get some work with them,'" Chandler said. "I started working with them and kind of worked out. I've built a solid relationship with them, and no matter what I'm going to be doing some training with them in the future.

"It's one of the perks of living in Vegas. It's the fight capital of the world, and people are always coming here. I haven't made any change in camp (with Xtreme Couture) or anything. (I'm) hust taking the opportunity that's been given to me."

Just like he hopes to do tonight against Gono.

"I'm looking to put on a dominant performance," Chandler said. "You can't come off a win like my last one and have a so-so performance. I don't want to be known as a fluke."

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