Conor McGregor withdrew from his fight with Michael Chandler due to a toe injury, but he understands Chandler’s persistence as Chandler stands to earn significantly more from their bout compared to his usual fights.
Conor McGregor understands why Michael Chandler is so persistent.
Chandler’s long-awaited duel with McGregor hit a snag. An injury forced “The Notorious” to withdraw from their highly anticipated welterweight bout. This fight was set to headline UFC 303 next Saturday.
Now, a light heavyweight championship rematch between Alex Pereira and Jiri Prochazka will take its place. The new main event is scheduled for June 29.
McGregor cited a toe injury for his withdrawal. Although he expects to return soon, he’s not committed to re-booking the Chandler fight. This raises questions about whether Chandler should wait for the potentially lucrative bout.
On Friday, McGregor took to social media to explain Chandler’s decision. He claimed Chandler was smart to wait because he’s getting paid “10 times” what he normally would for a fight.
“Chandler is getting paid 10x of what his contract states for other fights,” McGregor wrote. “Meaning he would need to fight 10 fights to make what he would make in this one. I’m The One.”
“For those saying he could have fought 2 or 3 times by now etc.,” McGregor added, “He’d need 10 to break even with this [check].”
It’s unclear what Chandler’s standard payout is for a UFC fight. Nor do we know what he would potentially make if the McGregor fight finally happens.
Several of McGregor’s past opponents have hinted at financial windfalls from fighting him. The term “red panty night” was coined to refer to McGregor’s value in the ring.
As for Chandler, he hasn’t mentioned any other potential opponents for his next fight. He seems determined to make the McGregor matchup happen.
And who can blame him?