Michael Chandler may not have landed the fight he originally wanted. But he’s got one now. And he’s fully locked in. Deep in the heat, humidity, and relentless swarm of bugs, Chandler is grinding through camp as he prepares for Mauricio Ruffy. But Ruffy isn’t the only challenge ahead. With the fight set for the White House South Lawn in Washington, D.C., on June 14, Chandler is also conditioning himself for the city’s unpredictable weather. 

On Sunday, Chandler shared a video on Instagram showing the brutal conditions he’s embracing ahead of his next fight. After finishing a series of exhausting sprints, the sweat-soaked former Bellator star walked up to his cameraman, covered in gnats and looking in phenomenal shape. He explained why he’s intentionally training outdoors to prepare for the chaos of his fight against Mauricio Ruffy later this month. 

“You gotta train, like in the environment you are going to fight in,” Chandler said. “We got the sun, we got the heat, we got the humidity… look at all these bugs. Hey, we ready for the bugs. Dana, you said there’s going to be bugs, dude. 

“I got any on my face,” he asked before picking one off his nose and eating it. “We need an exterminator out here. This is crazy. We came out here to acclimatize to the heat and got acclimated to the bugs … I didn’t notice them until halfway through, and then I was like, ‘Oh, there [are] a few bugs here. I saw one on me, and next time I looked down, I had two hundred and fifty. Well … we’re acclimated.”

The bug problem isn’t new. Dana White addressed it in detail during an interview with Rich Kleiman. White recalled having dinner with Donald Trump in the Rose Garden at the White House when he realized the area was heavily infested with gnats. That immediately made him think the insects could become a serious issue for fighters during their bouts.

Dana White then contacted Craig Borsari, the executive responsible for organizing UFC events. According to White, he suggested installing large industrial fans around the White House South Lawn to help control the bug problem. Borsari has reportedly been living in Washington, D.C., while overseeing preparations for the historic card.

Meanwhile, the White House lawn itself has undergone a dramatic transformation ahead of the event. A massive structure known as the Claw is being installed to support the temporary 5,000-seat arena. Reports have also claimed the setup caused significant damage to the lawn, leaving the UFC with an estimated $700,000 repair bill.

In any case, when Chandler’s video made it onto X, people were disgusted by his move to eat the bug, and even his physique failed to impress fans. 

Michael Chandler is predicted to record another loss

You don’t see people eating bugs every day. But when you do, it’s not the most pleasant sight. “We eating bugs now?” one user questioned in shock. While visually weird, gnats, like most bugs, are high in protein. Not to recommend that people should go out there and start chomping on the creepy-crawlies. 

The next fan was also left astonished. “The f—k did he put in his mouth,” the fan asked. The exact species of insect is hard to determine. But from what Chandler was discussing, it appeared to be a gnat. 

Meanwhile, others started predicting his upcoming fight. “He is always in great shape. It is too bad he came over to the UFC out of his prime. His chin was checked too many times in Bellator. He would have been a legit contender,” the user posted. Michael Chandler has fought seven times in the UFC since joining the promotion. But has only managed to win two. 

Another user mocked his physique. “Dude trains so hard then gasses in the 1st,” the user commented. Even in victories over Dan Hooker and Tony Ferguson, Michael Chandler rarely gets much credit. Critics often point out that Hooker was never considered one of the division’s elite contenders, while Ferguson was already riding a brutal seven-fight losing streak by the time Chandler knocked him out.

And that’s the exact point this user made. “He’s literally won 2 fights in the UFC against Dan Hooker and Tony Ferguson,” the user wrote. Mauricio Ruffy, on the other hand, is a rising star in the promotion, considered by many as a dangerous opponent. 

It looks like Michael Chandler is leaving no stone unturned for his upcoming fight against Mauricio Ruffy. But will all this hard work pay off?