Is Conor McGregor returning to the UFC next year? The Irish star certainly seems to think so, and if a recent Twitter interaction with fellow lightweight Michael Chandler is anything to go by, he’s already picked out his next opponent.
Chandler took to social media to post an edited image of himself facing off with the former two-division champ. The caption simply reads “2022”.
Chandler and McGregor Agree to 2022 Fight Via Twitter
McGregor swiftly responded “I’m down at some stage for sure. Great fight the other night Mike, congrats!” To which Chandler replied, “Thank you sir. It would be my pleasure. See you soon.”
This fight might actually make far more sense for both UFC lightweights than it first appears. Conor McGregor is still recovering from the gruesome leg break he suffered fighting Dustin Poirier in July. It was McGregor’s second consecutive loss, both of which came at the hands of Poirer.
Michael Chandler is similarly riding a two-fight losing streak, after losing to current champion Charles Oliveira and, most recently, Justin Gaethje. Dustin Poirier is next in line to fight Oliveira for the lightweight belt, which means hypothetically both McGregor and Chandler would be riding losses to champions going into the ring.
With both men in recent title consideration, and both recuperating from consecutive losses, a comeback fight could be very lucrative. Conor McGregor, despite his recent habit of occupying tabloid space by fighting musicians outside the Octagon, is still the UFC’s biggest star.
He’s arguably the biggest star in combat sports, and is one of the highest-paid athletes in the world. Conor McGregor, whether you love him or hate him, is huge business for the UFC, and every time he fights is a major event.
Michael Chandler, on the other hand, is a relatively niche name. He is arguably, at this stage, the better fighter, and his prodigious wrestling ability makes him a serious threat to Conor, who traditionally has struggled against wrestlers.
McGregor may once have been the scariest striker in the UFC, but the days of his two-division championship are long gone, and the Irishman’s once-legendary knockout power has been absent from his game for years now. Michael Chandler was once a Bellator champion, and his two recent losses were far closer affairs than the results would otherwise imply.
A win in this fight for either man would be the first step towards an almighty comeback, and a mightier paycheck for both fighters. Do you want to see McGregor vs Chandler? Let us know in the comments.
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