Despite no official booking, UFC fighter Michael Chandler remains certain that he will eventually face off against Conor McGregor, potentially at the anticipated UFC 300 event.
Michael Chandler displays unwavering confidence that his much-anticipated fight with Conor McGregor is written in the stars. The early half of the year was met with the announcement by UFC that both Chandler and McGregor will serve as opposing coaches on ‘The Ultimate Fighter 31’. That was to be followed by a face-off in McGregor’s first fight since his leg injury in a bout against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264. Even though the pair dutifully fulfilled their roles on TUF and built up anticipation for their bout by means of a well-publicized altercation, an official date for the fight is yet to be announced. This has led to speculation among fans about whether the match will ever actually come to fruition – a question to which Chandler responds with a resounding yes.
In a conversation on ‘The MMA Hour’ on Wednesday, Chandler made it clear that he did not see any scope for the match not happening. He spoke with certainty that McGregor will not return to the ring unless it is to face him. Chandler expressed willingness to battle it out with McGregor whenever he returns, regardless of whether it’s in January or May. He hinted at the possibility that the match might be held in conjunction with a significant upcoming UFC card but he maintains that those details are speculative. He further reveals that the long wait till the match gives him ample time to prepare a winning strategy against McGregor.
However, Chandler admits to have taken note of the delay in public recognition of the fight due to his active career in UFC since 2020. The last time Chandler was in the ring was at UFC 281 that took place in November, making it the longest gap between matches in his professional career. This gap may well continue to widen as McGregor has still not been assimilated back into the USADA testing pool, making him ineligible to compete till March at the earliest. Chandler expresses understanding over McGregor’s lack of urgency to get back into the ring due to his financial stability but also displays optimism that the match will happen. Despite being ridiculed by other UFC lightweight competitors, Chandler remains undeterred as the prospect of the bout with McGregor might be the biggest of his career. The expectation is that UFC 300, which is likely to take place in Las Vegas next April, could be the stage for their duel.