In mixed martial arts, things don’t always go as planned. So that’s a lesson Bellator champion Michael Chandler has been reminded of recently.

Chandler (16-3 MMA, 13-3 BMMA) made it clear in January that he wanted to fight Josh Thomson. The problem with that desire now is that Thomson went out and got brutally knocked out by Patrick Freire last month at Bellator 172.

And so where does that leave Chandler at the moment?

“I am just practicing patience, enjoying life, figuring out what’s going to happen next,” he said on MMAjunkie Radio.

It’s times like this that make MMA fans wonder about Chandler’s desire to join the UFC — or lack thereof.

You see, while the UFC is considered the pinnacle of MMA, Chandler already has an impressive career going for him without jumping ship, having defeated former UFC champions Eddie Alvarez and Benson Henderson. Chandler, ranked No. 12 in the USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA lightweight rankings, says he’s content with his current situation and, at least in part, that has to do with thinking about his future outside of fighting.

“I’m very happy with where my career is,” said the 30-year-old Chandler, who last fought in November. “I’m very happy with my relationship with Bellator and not just Bellator and Scott Coker and Rich Chou … but my relationship with the guys at Viacom and at Spike TV. To have that kind of support behind me is nothing short of amazing. On the one hand I see a ton of amazing matchups (in the UFC). And on the other hand I see great decisions that I’ve made for myself, my family, my future children. … But I’m very happy with where I’m at.”

That’s not to say, however, that Chandler hasn’t thought about facing the big names currently in the UFC’s lightweight division. He most certainly has and believes he could go toe to toe with any one of them.

“I’ve always wanted to beat up Anthony Pettis, just because he’s been a big name,” Chandler said. “Obviously, Conor (McGregor), but that’s the easy answer. … But, yeah, Pettis, (Nate) Diaz. I think Diaz and I are polar opposites in a lot of areas.

“Honestly, Khabib (Nurmagomedov). I think that’s stylistically, or when you think about big fights, a guy who is undefeated, who cannot help himself but taking people down, picking them up, slamming them, and beating them up for as long as he wants to. That’s a guy I’d love to test myself against to show the world where my wrestling is at, to show where my striking is at.”

And who’s to say these possibilities can’t ever happen? The way Chandler sees it, the UFC isn’t the only show that matters, which he believes fighters are beginning to recognize.

“If you also look at the landscape of mixed martial arts now, it’s not just the UFC,” Chandler said. “There are a lot of guys coming up on free agency, who are wanting to come over to Bellator. I think I have the luxury of time, the luxury of being in a great situation with a company that I believe in.”

For more on Bellator’s upcoming schedule, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.

MMAjunkie Radio broadcasts Monday-Friday at 1 p.m. ET (10 a.m. PT) live from Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino’s Race & Sports Book. The show, available on SiriusXM Ch. 93, is hosted by “Gorgeous” George Garcia and producer Brian “Goze” Garcia. For more information or to download past episodes, go to www.mmajunkie.com/radio.