Chandler Hints The McGregor Fight May Never Happen As White Says No Fight This Year
Michael Chandler has accepted that he may never fight Conor McGregor.
Chandler has become increasingly frustrated over waiting for McGregor. The fight was first entertained on the TUF 31 series. They competed as rival coaches in the franchise. Chandler won the series overall, while McGregor won the head-to-head with Chandler during the coach’s challenge. The fight was finally announced for June 29 at UFC 303.
However, it was called off after McGregor withdrew with a broken toe. The news left Chandler frustrated as it continued his inactivity. His last appearance took place at UFC 281 against Dustin Poirier in 2022. Chandler would lose that fight as he decided to hold out for McGregor. But he is now 38, and time is not on his side. Given how long he had been waiting, Chandler was ready to look elsewhere.
Chandler On McGregor
“But as much as I respect Conor, my legacy is not hinged upon this fight. I am running my own race, and I’m continuing to move forward. I am at the point now where we are looking at all of the options and not just fighting Conor. Things move fast, and the phone could ring at any time. I don’t want to make it sound like I’m not focused on fighting Conor, but right now when no contract is signed.
“I’m excited to fight. I’m training every day, and I’m in the best shape that I have been in a very long time, and I’m ready to go out there whether it’s Conor or someone else. There’s always going to be life after Conor if this fight never comes to fruition. I’ve always felt that if the Conor fight didn’t happen, I’m going to be just fine,” Chandler said
Chandler’s leading alternative is Charles Oliveira. It would be a rematch of their 2021 clash at UFC 261. Chandler started the bout fast and could have stopped Oliveira. However, that changed as Charles beat Chandler to secure a rear naked choke in the third round. The win gave Charles the vacant UFC Lightweight Title.
The other option was to pursue a bout with UFC Lightweight Champion Islam Makhachev. Chandler stated he had been offered the title shot. The advantage is that Chandler can win his first world title. The time to do so is running out since he is 38.
Chandler On Oliveira
A win also makes any potential McGregor fight that much bigger. The disadvantage is that Chandler may miss out on the McGregor fight altogether. The is a risk that his stock falls further with a heavy defeat. As of this moment, Chandler will put Oliveira in front of the queue if the McGregor fight fails.
“The most realistic option for me if you look at the landscape and you consider everything is Charles Oliveira. I love the rematch with Charles. I think it’s a great fight to get the fans pumped up. [And] I almost had him finished in the first round, and then I made a glaring mistake in the second round that I would never, ever make again. It was almost a self-fulfilling prophecy that I was working on in camp that turned out to be my demise,” Chandler added
Dana White has also stated that McGregor will not fight this year. This has created the narrative that the fight will not happen. The Irishman first stated that he hoped to be back in September for The Sphere. However, that has not happened. Meanwhile, other reports indicated that McGregor vs. Chandler may happen in December. White has now ruled that out too.
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