Michael Chandler Drops More Names as McGregor TUF Fight Hype Builds
Michael Chandler is a name on everybody’s lips right now, as he and Conor McGregor face each other as head coaches for the 31st season of The Ultimate Fighter. As is tradition, the two coaches will have their own bout later this year.
The countdown to #TUF31 is ON! 🔥
— The Ultimate Fighter (@UltimateFighter) May 11, 2023
The official trailer for Team McGregor vs Team Chandler has landed
[ Season premiere May 30th on ESPN & @ESPNPlus ] pic.twitter.com/IKRXUYQkdF
The well-decorated Bellator champion recently named other fighters he’d like a piece of, assuming he beats Notorious and opens more doorways to a UFC championship. Here’s what he said.
On McGregor and the TUF Fight
Chandler said that he expects the fight to break pay-per-view records. It’s hard to argue with him, with a lot staked on these fights through sports betting, especially whenever McGregor gets in the ring. In the inevitable match-up, bookmakers have McGregor at 4/5 while Chandler is at 10/11, maybe more even than the McGregor fans would like but he has been out of action for a while. However, this could provide value as a £10 bet on him at the current odds would return £18 according to a betting calculator and he is likely to be a popular betting option.
Chandler Wants Islam Makhachev’s Belt
If Chandler beats McGregor when they inevitably clash in 2023, which is a big if, he already has a laundry list of competitors he thinks he’d be perfect for. Assuming he wins and there are no scheduling barriers, let’s hear him out, what are his plans?
After bragging that he would finish McGregor “in a dominant fashion”, Chandler said that he could go on to fight current UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev or “whoever has the title at that point.” At least he’s making it clear that it isn’t personal – whoever has that belt is on Chandler’s radar after the McGregor bout.
Chandler and Makhachev mirror one another in some respects, mainly having forged an impressive record with other leagues before the UFC snapped them up. Chandler has fought more fights but that isn’t necessarily a good thing – he won 23 and lost 8. Makhachev has a 24-1-win record, his one loss being a shock first-round knockout delivered by Adriano Martins at UFC 192.
Chandler Eyes Welterweight Title
Chandler had a lot more to say while talking with Brendan Schaub, dropping the bombshell that he’d be down to move to welterweight and give #2 ranked Colby Covington a knock. “I wouldn’t be opposed”, he said, though it depended on the matchup.
Colby Covington or Jorge Masvidal, he names both and says that he loves the idea of fighting both. Then he names Nate Diaz, saying he expects him to make a UFC return and be eligible for a Chandler fight. Chandler broaches the subject with a cool, humble attitude – “if they give it to me, I ain’t saying no.”
Whether any of this comes to pass, we’ll have to wait until Chandler and McGregor meet in the octagon later this year. If a win over any fighter is a championship ticket, it would be McGregor, so it’s hard to argue with Chandler on that. It’s still no guarantee but it’s something that fans can chew on as TUF plays out before us this summer. Makhachev, Covington and Diaz may be in the crosshair right now but who knows? When the time comes, it may be somebody completely unexpected.
