In April, former Bellator lightweight champion Michael Chandler was on the fence about his fighting future, in terms of the company he will be fighting under. At the time, he was on the brink of free agency, contemplating about his next options in relation to how he will be compensated.

On Wednesday, Chandler ended all speculations on where he was headed to, after deciding to sign a new contract with Bellator. But according to some of his fellow fighters, this decision was made because of an ulterior motive.

Bellator featherweight champion Patricio Freire, for one, believes Chandler opted to stay put in order to avoid the stringent drug-testing procedures that a promotion company like the UFC is implementing.

“I’ve already said it before in interviews and tweeted about it: Chandler wasn’t going anywhere near USADA,” Freire told MMAjunkie. “He was just talking about the UFC as negotiation tactics. That guy is one of the biggest PED users in the sport.”

Nonetheless, “Pitbull” welcomes Chandler’s prolonged Bellator stint.

“I think it’s a good thing he stayed. That way my brother [Patricky Freire] can avenge his loss, and I can beat him up, too.”

The 32-year-old Chandler (18-4, with 14 wins by stoppage) last fought at Bellator 197 last April where he defeated Brandon Girtz via first-round submission.