Michael Chandler's Best WWE Dream Matches as UFC Star 'Definitely' Interested in Run

While Michael Chandler remains a big name in UFC at the age of 39, he is looking ahead to life after MMA, and it could include a foray into pro wrestling.

During an appearance Thursday on Insight with Chris Van Vliet (h/t Steve Carrier of Ringside News), Chandler divulged that he has interest in potentially joining WWE at some point.

"God created me for hand-to-hand combat, whether it's on the wrestling mats or maybe one day in a WWE ring after fighting," Chandler said. "Becoming a pro wrestler definitely intrigues me. It seems like a lot of fun, and I think I would enjoy it. There's definitely interest and curiosity on both sides. I've spent some time with Sheamus and a few other friends in wrestling. I'm a fan of the sport—I love going to live events and watching it on TV."

While transitioning to WWE would take a great deal of effort and commitment on Chandler's part, there is a history of MMA fighters becoming successful pro wrestlers with Ronda Rousey, Ken Shamrock, Matt Riddle and Shayna Baszler standing out as some of the biggest examples.

If Chandler manages to take the same path as they did and makes it to WWE, here is a rundown of the top dream opponents he could potentially face.

Chad Gable

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Chandler is 5'8", and given that he fights in the lightweight division, he typically hovers between 150 pounds and 160 pounds.

David vs. Goliath stories are not at all uncommon in professional wrestling, but it's fair to say many of Chandler's best matchups may be against WWE Superstars who are similar to him in terms of size.

While there aren't many wrestlers that size in WWE, Chad Gable stands out as the closest comparison since he is also listed at 5'8".

Before getting into MMA, Chandler was a star amateur wrestler, finishing second twice at the Big 12 Championships as a member of the University of Missouri's wrestling team.

Gable also has an extensive amateur wrestling background, competing at Northern Michigan University and qualifying for the 2012 Summer Olympics.

Although Gable is currently on the shelf after undergoing shoulder surgery, he is among the most explosive and exciting in-ring performers in WWE when healthy, and there is arguably nobody in WWE who could give Chandler a better match than him.

Ilja Dragunov

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Many of the principles that apply to Gable are true of Ilja Dragunov as well, making him a perfect match for Chandler.

Listed at 6'0", Dragunov is on the smaller side just like Gable and Chandler, but he is as explosive as any athlete in WWE.

After missing over one year of action due to a knee injury, Dragunov made his surprise return on the Oct. 17 episode of SmackDown, beating Sami Zayn for the United States Championship in an open challenge.

Before the injury, a strong argument could be made for Dragunov being the best in-ring performer in the world, and based on how he looked against Zayn, he hasn't missed a beat.

Even though he is typically smaller than most of his opponents, Dragunov is as physical as they come, and that style of wrestling would undoubtedly mesh well with an MMA fighter like Chandler.

Brock Lesnar

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Although it would be a departure from smaller body types like Gable and Dragunov, there is a lot to like about the concept of a wrestling match between Chandler and Brock Lesnar.

In addition to being one of the most accomplished WWE Superstars of all time, Lesnar boasts a combat sports résumé that few can touch.

At the University of Minnesota, Lesnar won an NCAA national title in amateur wrestling at the heavyweight level. Also, after his first stint in WWE, The Beast Incarnate went on to become UFC heavyweight champion.

As a former Bellator lightweight champion and UFC lightweight title contender, Chandler has the credentials to make it seem like he would at least have a slight chance against Lesnar despite the immense size disparity.

Lesnar has had many great matches against wrestlers who are much smaller than him with Daniel Bryan, CM Punk, AJ Styles and Seth Rollins standing out as prime examples.

That means he knows how to work with smaller wrestlers, and since both Lesnar and Chandler have amateur wrestling and MMA backgrounds, there is reason to believe they would complement each other well.