Michael Chandler believes Conor McGregor’s final MMA performance will likely take place at UFC 303.
After more than a year of waiting, the dream bout between Chandler (23-8 MMA, 2-3 UFC) and McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) finally has a date and location. He will welcome one of the most famous fighters in the history of the sport to the Octagon in the card’s welterweight main event on June 29 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas (pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+).
Many have questioned whether McGregor will compete again after sustaining a severe foot fracture in his loss to Dustin Poirier in a trilogy bout in July 2021, but the fight is currently It’s officially done. ‘The Notorious’ will make his long-awaited return against former three-time Bellator champion Chandler, but Chandler plans to make the Irishman pay for his long wait.
Chandler believes this matchup will be one of the biggest fights in UFC history, and he intends to use that platform to send his strongest message and end McGregor’s career.
“This is going to be the biggest fight in the last five years,” Chandler said in a recent Instagram Q&A. “This is going to be the biggest fight since Conor vs. Khabib (Nurmagomedov). I’m not saying that, because Conor’s opponent is going to be the biggest Muslim on the planet. But as big as Khabib is, as athletic and undefeated as he is in the championship, there’s something special about this one that you’ll have to buy on June 29th. You should buy the pay-per-view because this could be the biggest comeback in martial arts history by the biggest star in martial arts.That’s why you should buy the pay-per-view.
“Or the other option, the more likely option, is that I’m going to absolutely slam this guy down and give him a biblical beatdown, and then Conor McGregor is inside the Octagon. This is the last time you’ll see them compete. So either way, you should watch it on June 29th. UFC 303 is the most watched and biggest pay-per-view of all time for a variety of reasons. It will be.”
Chandler’s predictions have been consistent ever since the build-up to his fight with McGregor began when the pair coached on season 31 of the reality series “The Ultimate Fighter.” He has repeatedly said he thinks he will finish McGregor in the second round of a five-round fight.
However, it’s another thing to think about a fight when it hasn’t been decided yet. Now that he knows the date and location, Chandler’s vision grows stronger and his enthusiasm becomes more ferocious.
“Mystic Mike’s prediction is that he’ll finish him in the second round,” Chandler said. “Let’s push him in the first round and make him second-guess himself in the first round and make him realize, ‘Damn, maybe I should have stayed rich and stayed out of the fight game.'” And I starts planting those seeds of doubt in the first round. By the end of the first round, he’ll be back on the bench, back in his corner, gasping for breath, knowing his death is near.
“He’s going to start looking for the exit sign, and I’m going to guide him there. I might hold his hand on the way to the exit sign. On the way outside the exit sign, I’m going to give him a I might pat myself on the bushes a little bit. That’s the plan. If I get his back in the second round, KO or TKO, I’ll definitely steal his soul down the gullet.”
For more information on the card, check out MMA Junkie’s UFC 303 event hub.
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