After waiting more than a year for his fight with Conor McGregor to finally be scheduled, Michael Chandler understands his bet on UFC 303.
It’s been a long time coming for the three-time Bellator lightweight champion to link up with McGregor after coaching him on The Ultimate Fighter 31 in early 2023. From McGregor’s drama with the UFC’s anti-doping program to the Irishman’s recent promotional tour for the Road House remake. , Chandler was patiently waiting for his chance to return to his day job, fighting.
Chandler admits there were some moments when he was worried the fight would actually happen, but he now has no doubts that McGregor will show up on June 29th.
“I might question if he trains as hard as I do,” Chandler said on The MMA Hour. “You might wonder if he takes it as seriously as I do. I’m a guy who doesn’t have a big ego to give props to my opponent, the guy I want to dismantle. He’s played multiple matches in the past. I once had someone suddenly resign. [Nate] By the way, Diaz lost. [Jose] Aldo retreats and fights Chad Mendes.
“When he signs his name on the dotted line, yes he’s going to throw smoke and mirrors, yes he’s going to troll — he trolled you, he trolled me, he trolled everyone. He’s a showman. He likes to be a puppeteer. He likes to get a reaction. But at the end of the day, Conor McGregor, Mac is back, he’s been talking for this long. The biggest comeback in martial arts history, it’s this day, and he signs a contract.
“It’s either an act of God or some stupid crazy situation that he doesn’t show up. That’s just my personal opinion.”
Assuming no disaster occurs, McGregor’s return will come almost exactly three years after sustaining a serious injury that left him with a broken leg in his most recent fight against Dustin Poirier in 2021. It was a long road back for the Irish superstar, who dealt with an injury that changed the course of former champions like Anderson Silva and Chris Weidman forever.
Silva in particular never looked the same after breaking his leg as well. His time in the UFC ended with a record of 1 win, 5 losses, and 1 no contest in his last 7 Octagon bouts.
McGregor will also turn 36 just two weeks after UFC 303, so time is not on his side.
That’s why Chandler believes UFC 303 will be the can’t-miss moment of the year in the martial arts world. That’s because McGregor could either prove he’s truly back with a great performance, or he could end up limping out of the Octagon for the last time in his career.
“I said, and I’m on record saying that, everyone has to buy this pay-per-view, because one of two things will happen. ,” Chandler said. “Conor made a successful comeback, making it the biggest comeback in martial arts history. He came back victorious and returned to the horse. Whether it’s the welterweight title or the welterweight title or whatever it is, you’re going to be fighting big, big fights. That’s scenario 1.
“The most likely scenario is that I’m going to go out there and really dismantle him and that might be the last time I see Conor fight.”
Chandler has promised not to make such a declaration as he expects McGregor to call it a career, but whenever the former two-weight champion competes in a match, he will always be the best fighter on the planet. I know you are proud to be one of them.
If McGregor can no longer compete in that regard, there may be no reason to stick with him after UFC 303.
“I’m not saying this maliciously. I’m saying retire him, put him in a body bag, all that stuff,” Chandler said. “Whether it’s 155 or 170, we’ll see where he stands in the world of high-class fighters in this division. I’m a top-ranked guy. When the new rankings came out, I was a little depressed. Top 7. So let’s see how he stacks up.
“This might be the last time we see him. That’s why people have to buy the pay-per-view, because it might be the last time we see Conor and if I’m in the next tier… If you watch me go up, a bigger and brighter light will shine on me after this battle.”
The June 29 fight may be a do-or-die affair for McGregor, but Chandler promises the stakes are just as high for him.
“We can’t lose to a player who’s been out for three years,” Chandler said. “I can’t lose to a guy who got fired. I can’t lose to a guy who sleeps on silk sheets in a Lamborghini yacht he gave up on. I can’t lose to that guy. So there’s a lot of pressure on me. .”
