UFC lightweight and former Bellator champion Michael Chandler is still holding out to fight Conor McGregor. He’s aware that McGregor, the biggest star in combat sports, could fight just about anyone he wants, so in the meantime Michael Chandler will take on McGregor’s last opponent, Dustin Poirier, at UFC 281.
Chandler discussed his position on the McGregor fight on The Fighter vs The Writer. “Truthfully, if there was a guarantee [that] ‘this fight is happening,’ I have no problem waiting a couple extra months into January, February, even March next year.
Chandler Still Waiting for McGregor Fight, But Says “It’s foolish to hitch your wagon to that fight”
But the sport of mixed martial arts, a lot changes every single day, and we’re also talking about the biggest combat sports icon on the planet.
There’s rumors out there of him fighting Floyd Mayweather. There’s rumors of him never coming back. There’s rumors of him coming back before the end of the year. We don’t know when Conor’s coming back, so with that level of uncertainty, it would be really foolish to hitch your wagon to that fight.”
Conor McGregor has been out of action ever since he broke his leg last July. The gruesome injury came courtesy of a fight against Dustin Poirier, and saw McGregor carried out of the arena on a stretcher. McGregor was initially poised to return this year, but with the UFC booked out until the end of the year and “The Notorious” set to star in a remake of Roadhouse, a 2023 return – if he comes back at all – is looking far more likely. With that in mind, Michael Chandler has to look at other options if he wants to fight for UFC gold once again.
“Do I want that fight [with Conor]? Of course. Do I think that fight is going to happen eventually? Absolutely. But still, my No. 1 goal isn’t to fight Conor — it’s the win the title.
My No. 1 goal is to be UFC champion. To be the No. 1 guy on the entire planet. I’ve got to get through somebody else in the top-five, get another win under my belt and then go fight Charles [Oliveira] or Islam [Makhachev], whoever wins that fight in October, probably in the first quarter of next year. I’ll be your champion in March, April, May of next year.
Conor is the biggest fight ever. Conor is a legacy kind of fight. Conor is a Hall of Fame kind of fight. It’s the fight that everyone remembers. Win, lose or draw, knockout or submission or decision, it’s a fight that everyone’s going to remember, but holding UFC gold and attaining my goal, reaching my goal of being the No. 1 lightweight on the planet [means more].”
What are your thoughts on Chandler’s trajectory? Let us know in the comments.
