finally returned from a two-year hiatus after it became clear he would not fight soon – if ever – so he booked a rematch against with the hope that a win could get him back into title contention.
Unfortunately, things didn't go his way after he ultimately lost a lopsided decision despite a late comeback attempt in the fifth and final round. The loss dropped him to 1-4 in his last five fights, but don't expect a former opponent To root for Chandler to turn things around.
Primus' disdain for Chandler is well-documented, having fought twice under the Bellator banner, and while both have continued their careers, that doesn't mean the former rivalry ends simply because they no longer fight in the same organization.
“Man, he looked like crap in his last fight,” Primus said of Chandler’s loss when speaking to MMA Fighting. “I couldn't believe that. I think Chandler looked like shit. His footwork made him fall everywhere. He threw his right hand like a baseball. I wasn't impressed with his performance. His statement was kind of creepy.
“I don’t like this guy. I think Chandler is a fraud. I feel like he's a dirty fighter. I just don't like this guy at all. It was definitely fun to watch Oliveira pick him apart like that. I liked it.”
Losing to Oliveira isn't exactly a bad loss, but Primus says his criticism of Chandler is more about how he actually looked in the fight.
Whether it was game plan, execution or perhaps simply returning from an extended layoff, Primus believes Chandler just lost a step when facing Oliveira .
“There were one or two rounds that could have been 10-8 rounds,” Primus said. “Chandler, this is what happens when you take two years off and wait for someone. You could clearly see that the ring on him was rusting and I think it just looked like shit. His feet weren't under him, he fell everywhere. He tripped over the cage. He didn't prepare his punches. He telegraphed them. He looked like he was throwing a baseball.
“It was a pretty embarrassing performance from Chandler. You sit outside for two years waiting for someone to happen.”
Primus won't deny that Chandler was a serious fighter at his absolute best, but he just doesn't look the same level of fighter anymore.
It's also safe to say that Primus simply doesn't think much of Chandler, personally or professionally. Even if he had been victorious, there is little chance that he would have celebrated that victory.
“This guy is such a cheating little punk,” Primus said. “I can’t stand this guy. I heard it Say he doesn't want to fight him because he's just a dirty cheater. He stuck his fingers in his eyes and blew blood into his eyes. Chandler was definitely a good fighter and probably still is, but he looked like he had a lot of ring rust in him.
“I just think he’s a dirty cheater. Just a dirty cheater, and when he doesn't win or doesn't want to get his way, he makes excuses and tries to cheat. I was pretty happy to see Oliveira tear him apart like that. Oliveira is the man.”
With Chandler in the UFC and Primus set to fight for the $1 million prize in Friday's 2024 PFL season finale, there's little chance the two will ever cross paths again.
Primus admits that Chandler was the one who escaped before they could meet a third time.
“After we fought in Hawaii and he won the belt back from me in that decision win. I was in the back and my manager said, 'Bellator wants to know if you want to fight him again, they want a third fight,'” Primus revealed. “I thought, damn it, let’s go. Let's do this.
“It never happened. He left for the UFC shortly after, but that’s a fight I would definitely take.”
As for his own career, Primus has long since put the Chandler fight behind him and he has a chance to make life-changing money when he competes on Friday. If all goes well, Primus hopes to leave Saudi Arabia with a PFL title belt, a seven-figure paycheck and the assurance that another rematch may be waiting for him in the future.
In January, Bellator became lightweight champion defends his title against at an event in Dubai. Primus has a long history with Nurmagomedov, having suffered a loss to him in 2023, but the result was overturned after the unbeaten Russian tested positive for a banned substance.
Primus wanted to win the PFL title and then immediately move on to a rematch with Nurmagomedov, but if he has to wait a little longer for that to happen, then so be it.
“I want this fight again,” Primus said of Nurmagomedov. “I would like to fight Usman. The [fight against Paul Hughes] was kind of a surprise. This is Paul's [third] Fight with Bellator and he'll get a title shot. I know he beat up AJ [McKee]who is a tough guy, so I was surprised and a little disappointed.
“At the same time, it’s just motivation for me. I'm going to win this title, win this million dollars. If they want me to fight the winner of this fight, I'm all in and would be happy to do that. I’m definitely looking forward to it.”
