Michael Chandler refuses to give up hope on his clash with Conor McGregor: ‘The fight is happening’
Michael Chandler refuses to give up hope on his long-awaited clash with Conor McGregor.
It’s been a year since fight fans first learned that the Irish megastar’s return to the Octagon would come against Chandler. Unfortunately, there has been little movement since then, even after the two completed their time competing against one another on the 31st season of The Ultimate Fighter.
But despite all the delays and doubts cast by UFC CEO Dana White, Chandler remains adamant that his fight with McGregor will happen.
“Nobody’s had to feel like they’ve waited longer than me,” Chandler told Ariel Helwani on Wednesday’s episode of The MMA Hour. “I’ve been ready to fight since right after The Ultimate Fighter, but I also understand that the time off has been good. The time with my family has been good. Business has been booming outside of me fighting in a cage for a paycheck. Conor’s got his stuff going on. He’s promoting Road House that’s coming out in March.
Obviously, there was the USADA stuff and the new drug testing stuff. There’s all these different layers, plus what Dana [White] has said. Money complicates things. There’s a lot of money involved in this fight. There’s a lot of money in Conor’s camp with what he has built. Whether you love him or hate him, you’ve gotta respect what the man has built. It has complicated things, but either way, the Chandler train is continuing. We’re not getting off this train. This is the fight that is happening. I can’t tell you the date. I can’t tell you the weight, but I can tell you the fight is happening.
“I have way too many assurances that this fight is happening to think otherwise.”
The last time Michael Chandler stepped inside the cage was at UFC 281. ‘Iron’ came up short, suffering a third-round rear-naked choke submission to lightweight staple Dustin Poirier. Since his promotional debut in January 2021, Chandler has gone 2-3.
As for Conor McGregor, the Irishman’s last appearance also came against Poirier at UFC 264. ‘Mystic Mac’ lost the bout via TKO after breaking his leg in the waning moments of the opening round. McGregor has lost four of his last five fights, including a boxing match against legendary pugilist Floyd ‘Money’ Mayweather.
