Chael Sonnen shuts down the chances of Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler potentially fighting for a new UFC 165-pound title.
On June 29, McGregor and Chandler are scheduled to end their extended layoffs when they meet in the UFC 303 main event. Last week, ‘Iron’ spoke with The Mac Life and revealed he hopes a title is on the line for his matchup against the former two-division champion, even if the promotion has to create a new weight class.
During an episode of Good Guy / Bad Guy, Sonnen and Daniel Cormier discussed the chances of a 165-pound division being added to the UFC. ‘The American Gangster’ voiced his disinterest in the idea by saying:
“This is not accurate, it’s entertaining. There is no need for a 165-pound title for one. Part two, the commission does not sanction 165-pound fights. Part three, the UFC does not contest a 165-pound division. Part four, these guys combined are coming off more losses than I’ve had in my entire career. So, if anybody is coming back to fight for a mythical belt, it will be yours truly.”
Watch Chandler’s comments about wanting to fight for a title below:
Michael Chandler thinks that his fight against Conor McGregor “should be for a belt”, and doesn’t rule out their fight being for the 165 pound title 👀
“Man, I would not be surprised if all of a sudden that bout agreement comes over and says ‘for the 165 title’. You never know,… pic.twitter.com/XyFGw2vxRm
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) April 16, 2024
Chael Sonnen believes “the psychology of Dana White” won’t allow for Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler to receive title shot
The proposed 165-pound division in the UFC has been a controversial topic in the MMA community for years. Even if the weight class was utilized, Chael Sonnen claimed Dana White and the promotion could be hesitant to give the opportunity to Conor McGregor or Michael Chandler. Sonnen explained why during the previously mentioned podcast episode:
“There is no 165-pound belt coming. The history of the UFC and the psychology of Dana White says I don’t give anybody a world title opportunity that is coming off losses, let alone multiple. The history of Dana White psychology says I don’t give anybody a world title opportunity, even if they are the number one contender, if I have reason to believe they are not going to come back and defend it.”
Conor McGregor hasn’t fought since suffering a fight-ending leg injury against Dustin Poirier in July 2021. McGregor’s layoff was extended for various reasons, but he’s finally ready to return and get back in the win column.
Meanwhile, Michael Chandler is coming off a third-round submission loss against Poirier in November 2022. Since then, Chandler coached The Ultimate Fighter Season 31 against McGregor before waiting for their fight date.
Watch the entire episode of Good Guy / Bad Guy below:
