>> We out here for the quarantine,
just trying to keep our, you know, lungs open.
Stay on point; stay sharp.
We've been training hard for a long time
so you don't want to come sit down too much.
Got out here, these three rounds of shadowboxing,
just mixing in some actual fight prep stuff.
And just some of my own stuff
that I like to throw in here and there
and then finished up with some sprints.
I had a great camp.
My coach Chris and the whole team back home
in Birmingham and Sparta.
They put me through the paces for 13 weeks, man.
We've been grinding for this.
So we 110% ready, man.
>> How're you? >> Good.
>> How're you?
>> Thank you.
Good luck to all of us.
>> Yeah.
>> We're going to war.
>> Yeah.
>> We're fighting on the biggest stage is pretty awesome.
>> It's awesome.
Alright, have fun, man.
>> We'll see you tomorrow.
>> There's a bunch of guys out here
working out this morning.
What are you gonna do, you know.
Like we have to make do with what we can.
So we're kind of just prepared for anything and everything.
Just ready to roll with the punches
and get in there and fight no matter what.
[Grunting]
It's pretty cool card to be on.
What a time.
You know, what a time to be a UFC fighter.
I feel super blessed to be here.
I feel really lucky.
Sun is shining, food is cooking, ready to go eat.
Breakfast.
>> I thrive in unorthodox scenarios, you know,
and this is kind of like wrestling.
You know, I grew up as a wrestler.
You'd show up to a gym somewhere across the country.
You're not sure who you're gonna draw first round,
you're not sure when you're going to wrestle,
you're not sure what's going to go on.
This is kind of embracing the uncertainty.
And that's what I've done my entire career.
I told Dana, I told these guys as soon as I wanted
to come in, I'm not here for a long time.
I'm here for a good time.
So I wanna be thrown into the mix right away.
What better way to introduce the UFC fans
to who Michael Chandler is than the guy
who's willing to step up on short notice to possibly
face one of two opponents or no opponents,
you know, get all the way here.
Do the quarantine here in Vegas, then go to Abu Dhabi.
Do the quarantine in Abu Dhabi.
Make weight, do all the shenanigans,
and not get the opportunity to fight.
So I'm gonna show up on weight October 23;
do my job.
>> My last fight was over a year ago.
But I'm itching; I'm hungry,
I'm ready to get back in it.
I'm just better in every aspect of martial arts.
Winning this fight earns me a shot at the title.
So this is the biggest fight of my career.
I've already established myself
as a dangerous striker, power puncher.
No pressure whatsoever,
only pressure is going to be on my opponent.
And that's the pressure I'm going to apply.
I'm more than ready to be in this position.
So bring it on.
♪♪
I feel good, you know,
got about two, three hours of sleep.
And every time I leave for fight week I love it.
You know, I love my job.
I love martial arts.
I love this whole trip, you know,
so I'm just enjoying the ride, that's all.
Taking in everything as I go
and living life to the fullest, you know.
>> Y'all have a safe flight.
>> And culminating in a spectacular finish
of Robert Whittaker, of course.
>> You're so intense, you know, I mean,
I'm usually always trying,
but if it doesn't lock, it doesn't lock.
>> Yeah, sure.
Yeah, I'm sure you see a lot.
>> I've never seen any fear in your eyes.
>> We just knew any of this could happen;
that any one of us could fall off the card.
That it could be me, It could be her.
I was prepared to go to Fight Island by myself
without my corners if I had to.
I was definitely prepared for Cynthia.
But luckily they found a replacement.
And yeah, I just have to keep looking at it
like this is just one more challenge to overcome.
And this is the kind of stress
that champions deal with, you know what I mean?
We have to be ready for anything
so they can change my opponent eight more times
if they need to before the actual fight
and I'm going to be just [bleep] fine.
>> Honestly, my mind is on sleep, trying to prep myself
and figure out how I'm gonna do my sleep schedule.
I think I'm about to go to sleep the first half
and then the second half, I'm gonna stay up
so I can be awake when I get to Abu Dhabi.
So we'll see how that will work out.
I'm excited.
I never been to Middle East
and I've been trying to get over here.
I think for like the last year and a half after every fight,
I've been asking Dana to send me over.
So I finally got an opportunity, man.
We're gonna put on the show.
>> This is my mom and dad's first time ever
flying international in business class.
They've been on this ride since day one.
So you know, I text Dana.
I was like, dude, they have never-- you know,
the only fight they've ever missed is the Tony fight.
They started this journey.
So it would be unfair for them
to miss the biggest part of the journey.
Dana White's got his own chicken sandwich
on this plane.
A good job.
Steak was calling my name.
You know, when I was a kid I could have never
imagined representing the United States of America,
you know, halfway across the world
against an undefeated fighter
that happens to be a Russian.
You know, I watched many Rocky movies, but uh,
Rocky-- I think it was Rocky IV--
It was certainly something special
and pays to get up in the morning, at 5:00 AM,
you know, travel two hours to Tucson or Phoenix
just to wrestle a tournament.
And it's really no different.
I just have to fly 16 hours across the world
to [bleep] Khabib up.
[Chatter]
>> Khabib is the only number one fighter
that we all for here.
But that doesn't mean we don't support Justin.
No, we support everyone.
But you know, Khabib, we've been with him last year,
and we're gonna be with him this year.
So we've been supporting him from last year.
So we just brought it to this year.
So Khabib is the real guy but Justin also,
Khabib has to be careful,
man because he's coming so ready.
He can't give up, man.
That's it.
[Chatter]
[Yelling]
>> I love this place.
I love UAE, you know.
When you become famous, it's a little bit make you stressed
but what you can do.
What you can do.
You have to be nice with everybody, you know,
and you become like a star.
Like coach say, if you don't want
like this attention, you just have to lose.
And that's it.
If you keep winning, you have to understand.
Thank you so much.
>> Wherever you are, please make it happen here.
Fight in the island!
Fight in the sea!
Fight in the desert!
Fight everywhere!
[Laughing]
[Dramatic theme music]
♪♪