Chandler Cole is looking to rise to 7-2 in his professional career at the expense of Marcus Maulding (8-12 MMA). The two heavyweights are slated to clash at Showcase MMA 17 on Saturday.
Cole said Maulding is “super athletic,” but he believes his own wrestling is enough to trump Maulding’s skill set. However, Cole said he is eager to show another wrinkle to his game.
“The only thing that’s going to be different than what anyone else is playing out in their head is, I’ve actually been working on my stand-up for the past year,” Cole told MMASucka. “I know my last fight, I didn’t really get to showcase like I wanted to. I’m really hoping to come out and show everybody how many more tools I’ve added to my toolbox.”
Cole’s last bout was a first-round TKO stoppage of Derrick Weaver at Showcase MMA 16 in January. “The Hammer” is now 2-0 with Showcase MMA. If he defeats Maulding, Cole hopes his next fight would be for the promotion’s heavyweight title.
“If it’s God’s will, and I get to win this weekend, I’ve got some big plans,” Cole teased. “I’ve got something grinding in my head right now. First things first, I’ve got to take care of Marcus, but if all goes well, I’ve got a little something special for everybody.”
Chandler Cole’s 205-Pound Plan
Cole said he intends to drop back down to light heavyweight by the end of 2021. His ideal plan is fighting at heavyweight one more time in June before making the cut to 205. From there, Cole said he would like to fight twice at light heavyweight before the UFC signs him.
Cole said the UFC is the promotion he wants to be a part of.
“Bellator is cool, ONE is cool, but I just feel like the UFC is the pinnacle of all promotions,” he said. “When it’s all said and done, I want to be able to tell my kids, ‘Hey, I fought for the biggest promotion there is.’”
Cole thought his chance at the UFC would have come when he tried out for Season 28 of The Ultimate Fighter in 2018. In the grappling portion of the tryouts, Cole squared off with Anderson “Braddock” Silva, a kickboxer currently signed to ONE Championship.
“I had a perfect trial; I went out there and killed. My grappling round was against Anderson da Silva. He was the first pick overall on the show. No one wants to come out and say it, but I absolutely crushed him. I absolutely crushed him, but he got picked.”
Chandler Cole did not make the show.
“I’ve kind of had a chip on my shoulder ever since then just to show everybody how good I’ve truly gotten,” he said. “I want to make the UFC, but I want to actually be a problem. I want to be a problem in the UFC; not just be on the roster.”
To reach the UFC, Cole said his plan is to either get on the Dana White Contender Series or just keep winning. He just doesn’t know when his shot will come based on previous UFC signings.
“It’s so weird, because you see people making the UFC and they’re 4-0,” he said. “And then you see people making the UFC, and they’re 22-10. It’s really hard to judge that, but I just know whenever I get the call, I’ll be working hard and I’ll be ready.”
When he faces Maulding, Cole said he plans to weigh in between 255 and 260 pounds. Cole has competed at light heavyweight previously in his career, but he saw his weight balloon up to 325 pounds.
“Which is lazy, out of shape,” Cole said. “I was really taking a lot for granted. I got smacked in the face with reality, life and how fast you could lose everything. I just told myself, ‘I want to work hard, I want to be a better person, better father and better athlete.’”
“The Hammer” dropped 65 pounds between September and December. While he stopped purely dieting after getting back down to the heavyweight limit, Cole said he has continued to hone his skills.
“I can tell my body has transformed a lot,” he said. “I feel a lot better. I think in June, I want to weigh around 235, 230. And then hopefully I can get a fight after that at 205.”
Chandler Cole vs. Marcus Maulding
When asked for a prediction, Cole adamantly said he wants to finish Maulding.
“I fight to kill. That’s one thing I got beat in my head from really early on in my career. You can’t just be fighting those boring fights that go to a decision. You’ve got to want to kill. Amateurs and pros. Out of 21 fights, no matter if I won or lost, I’ve only gone to a decision once. Finish. No matter what, I will go out guns blazing.”
Showcase MMA 17, including Chandler Cole vs. Marcus Maulding, is slated to go down Saturday from the Meadowview Convention Center in Kingsport, Tennessee.
