UFC lightweight Michael Chandler has been clamoring for a chance to face Irish superstar Conor McGregor ever since the former Bellator man’s arrival in the UFC two years ago. With McGregor rumored to be returning to action with a stint on popular reality TV show The Ultimate Fighter, Chandler is once again putting his hand up for a chance to get his hands on “The Notorious.” Chandler made his case, dismissing widespread rumors about Tony Ferguson’s role in McGregor’s comeback, in a recent appearance on Believe You Me.
First, he claimed that Ferguson mentioning a TUF coaching opportunity was just social media shenanigans. “I know for sure that was definitely just a tweet thrown out there to see if it gained any traction. Obviously, everybody knows I would be down. Me, Conor, on TUF, whether it be four-six weeks, however long we would be filming that thing. The tension, the rivalry, the competition, the trash talk, just the animosity that would be built up and then go into a training camp and fight later on after the show.
Will Michael Chandler Coach TUF Opposite McGregor?
I want the fight. Everybody knows that. The fans want the fight. Dana has gone public saying he wants that fight so the UFC wants the fight. I’ve actually heard from numerous UFC people that that’s the fight that a lot of people are talking about. Man, huge fight. Could you imagine the first round? Two dudes trying to finish each other in the first round. Massive.”
While Chandler is mostly a lightweight, as is McGregor, the Irishman has put on considerable mass during his almost two-year layoff from the Octagon. Chandler, who walks around almost forty pounds heavier than the UFC lightweight limit of 155 pounds, is very much open to the prospect of facing McGregor in a heavier weight class.
“I’m walking around almost 190 right now. And I stay lean, because I’m always training. I’m not getting fluffy or fat, and I’m always around that 185-190 clip. So 170, for me, would be a dream come true. I don’t like making 155. The only reason I can make 155 is just good, old-fashioned 12 weeks of diet, exercise, discipline, and a little bit of dehydration at the end, so why not do 170?
I still think I’m bigger than Conor at this point, even with his regimen that he’s been on.” Is Chandler vs McGregor the fight to make? Is The Ultimate Fighter the way for this clash to happen? Let us know in the comments.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMV8SQsjbfE
