Bellator champ Michael Chandler won't lose sleep over Eddie Alvarez's fate

The attention being heaped on ex-Bellator champ Eddie Alvarez isn't wearing on the man who took his belt, Michael Chandler.

The current lightweight titleholder today told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio) that the hubbub over Alvarez's next move is par for the course with a star-driven media.

"That's how every sport is," Chandler said. "That's how football is. Look at Tim Tebow and (Mark) Sanchez. I was just watching 'SportsCenter' today, and the media is whatever."

Chandler (10-0 MMA, 7-0 BFC), who won the belt this past November by submitting Alvarez (24-3 MMA, 8-1 BFC), said the ex-champ deserves the attention he's getting as he contemplates whether to stay with Bellator and work his way back to a title shot, or leave for possibly greener pastures with the UFC.

"He lost a fight against me, but then he came out and crushed (Shinya) Aoki and crushed (Patricky) 'Pitbull' (Freire), and now he's a free agent, and everybody wants to see what he's going to do," Chandler said. "That's the hot topic right now. Me, I'd just assume to stay in the gym, chill out, work my butt off and come out swinging in January."

That month is the timeframe for Chandler's first title defense, which comes against Season 6 tournament winner Rick Hawn. It's the first fight of three Chandler wants in 2013; by November of next year, 13-0 is the record he's targeted. Competing just once in 2012 – a 56-second beatdown of Japanese vet Akhihiro Gono – he's not bothered by Alvarez's edge in exposure. He does, however, want the financial rewards that come with an active schedule.

"I wanted to fight," Chandler said. "I was ready to fight, and not seeing money come into my bank account. ... I think I work hard enough, I train hard. You want to make as much money as you can. I'm not a greedy, selfish type of person, but I have to be smart. I have to know someday I'm going to have a wife (and) kids, and I want to have money put away for them. That's what I'd be doing right now if I was able to fight."

If Chandler is successful against Hawn, he'll face the winner of the Season 7 lightweight tournament, which is currently underway. That leaves one opponent remaining for next year, and Alvarez could be the third man if Bellator keeps its promise not to reward him a title shot without first winning a tournament.

The pair's first meeting was recently nominated for the 2012 World MMA Awards for "Fight of the Year," adding to another nomination Chandler received for "Breakout Fighter of the Year."

Of Bellator's insistence that Alvarez earn a title shot, Chandler said, "It's admirable that they do stick to their guns. But at the same time, we're fighters, man. We have to fight.

"I'm not necessarily interested in a rematch with Eddie Alvarez. I think I proved what I needed to prove. Would it be a great fight? Yes, it would be, and if I get a call from whoever from Bellator and they say, 'No ifs ands or buts, you're fighting Eddie Alvarez, and he's not going through the tournament,' I'm not going to say, 'No, it isn't fair.' It's my job. I'm going to fight. I'm supposed to be ready, willing and able to fight whenever I can. And I've been ready all year."

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