Michael Chandler confident Coker going after high-end future opponents for him after Bellator 180

Many have already penciled in Michael Chandler as a lock to successfully defend his Bellator lightweight title against Brent Primus at “Bellator: NYC.” But the champion said he’s not taking anything for granted.

Chandler (16-3 MMA, 13-3 BMMA) has far more experience and has competed at a much higher level than Primus (7-0 MMA, 5-0 BMMA) to this stage of their careers. That makes him the sizable favorite on paper, but Bellator’s 155-pound kingpin knows nothing is guaranteed in MMA.

Every fighter needs that key opportunity to break through to take his career to the next level. Chandler had his when he first competed for Bellator gold against Eddie Alvarez in November 2011. Now Primus gets his shot on the June 24 “Bellator: NYC” pay-per-view main card, which follows the “Bellator 180” prelims on Spike at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

“Five years ago, I was in his exact same position,” Chandler told reporters at a recent news conference to promote his fight. “You’re young, you’re hungry, you’re undefeated. You get the opportunity to fight the world champion and stamp your name in the ranks in the world. I know I have a tough test ahead of me. I know I have a tough opponent in front of me on a very big stage.”

Although Chandler, 30, admits part of him expected a more high-profile name after defending his title against ex-UFC champ Benson Henderson at Bellator 165 in November, he said he understands options are limited given the current landscape of his weight class.

Chandler, No. 12 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA lightweight rankings, already has fought and beaten most of the noteworthy competition, which is likely why Primus, who hasn’t competed since a split-decision victory over Gleristone Santos at Bellator 153 in April 2016, was selected for the “Bellator: NYC” spot.

If Chandler can hang on to his belt, though, he anticipates some more significant opportunities to show up on the horizon. He said Bellator President Scott Coker has assured him as much, but Chandler said he’s willing to take the situation into his own hands and seek out big fights in other weight classes if necessary.

“I’m large enough to fight at welterweight or with other guys,” Chandler said. “I talk to Scott all the time. He’s continuing to go after guys. I have a lot of guys on my radar that I would love to fight, and you’re just going to see more and more guys coming over.

“You’re seeing guys come over (from the UFC). It’s exciting. It’s an exciting time to be in my position. It’s an exciting time to be fighting for Bellator, and June 24 is going to be another night for me to stamp my name on the lightweight division. Then we’ll see where we go from there.”

For more on “Bellator NYC” and Bellator 180, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.