UFC lightweight Michael Chandler firmly believes that he’s the “frontrunner” for a big-money fight against UFC superstar Conor McGregor. Appearing on the Bussin’ With The Boys podcast, Chandler made his case.
“I feel like I’m the frontrunner right now, I could be the frontrunner. I’m exciting, I got the hype, I got the people behind me, I got the knockouts, I got the hillbilly fights with Gaethje, I got the callout.
Chandler Believes He Is “Frontrunner” To Face McGregor, Possibly in Ireland
People can see me on the mic and they know there’s going to be some verbal jiu-jitsu going on there on the microphones, me and him going back at it, respectively, of course, on my side at least .
I think I’m on the cusp of being the guy who’s in the conversation with Conor and very few people get in the conversation with Conor. There you have to take it a little more seriously or put a little bit more weight in that. I still think I beat Conor, I’m fighting next for the title anyway. Nothing is guaranteed, this sport moves quickly. Who knows.”
Not only does Michael Chandler want a piece of Conor McGregor – who Tweeted his own approval for the matchup after UFC 274 – but he’s willing to take on the former two-division champ in his own back yard. Ireland’s most hallowed sporting ground, Croke Park, is the key destination for Chandler vs McGregor if it goes ahead.
“I think it’s called Croke Park or something, there is a big stadium out there, that they have talked about doing, Croke Park or something like that. That would be awesome too, I would love to go into enemy territory.”
Rumors of McGregor fighting before a home crowd in Dublin’s Croke Park have abounded ever since the Irishman’s meteoric rise to stardom. They hit fever pitch when McGregor secured his second UFC belt, knocking out Eddie Alvarez to become the promotion’s first ever simultaneous two-division champion.
McGregor’s popularity in his home country has waned somewhat with his ailing fortunes in the Octagon, and McGregor’s continued run-ins with the law. However, he remains the biggest star in MMA, and any McGregor fight would surely mean big business.
The UFC has not been to Ireland since McGregor vs Brandao back in 2014. Do you think Chandler vs McGregor is the most likely scenario moving forward? Let us know in the comments.
