- Michael Chandler is certain he could knock Conor McGregor out in two rounds
- “Iron” Mike will rely on a big shot to finish “The Notorious”
Michael Chandler sure knows how to promote his highly-anticipated head-to-head clash with Conor McGregor as coaches in the upcoming The Ultimate Fighter Season 31. They haven’t started filming yet but “Iron” Mike has already predicted a second-round KO win over “The Notorious.”
It will be quick
Speaking to ESPN, Chandler described in detail how the season finale fight with McGregor will go down. Based on the former Bellator lightweight champion’s premature prediction, which he referred to as “Mystic Mike,” a mockery on McGregor’s other moniker, he could take the former UFC two-division champ no later than Round 2.
Chandler is confident about getting the finish sooner rather than later as he was quite sure he and McGregor like to start “extremely fast.”
“Conor and I both start extremely fast,” Chandler assessed. “Conor more in a larger, wider, take-up-more-space stance, to kind of project that domineering spirit of himself. Me more like a missile coming at you, making you feel my presence right away, I want to get my hands on you…. If he lands one on the button, it’s going to be a rough night for me. If I land one on the button, it’s going to be a rough night for him, but which one of us can do it?” Chandler said.
“I’m going to get in his face, make him take a backwards step right away. He’s going to feel my presence from the very beginning of the fight and then from there wherever the fight takes us. If I want to pick him up and put him down, I can pick him up and put him down and put a beating on him and get a submission that way. I believe I finish Conor in the second round. That’s my ‘Mystic Mike’ take on this, later on this year whenever it is,” he added.
A big shot
As for what move will get the job done, Chandler sees either “a big overhand right or a left hook” will knock the living lights out of McGregor.
“I always visualize a big overhand right or a left hook,” Chandler predicted. “That’s the shot that I really want to land every single time, and that’s the shot I’ve seen put guys down so many times in my career, put guys down in training, put guys down a million times in my mind.”
He continued, “I believe I wear him down a little bit and land a big shot in the second round and take him out.”
Conor will be exposed
The Ultimate Fighter rose to prominence for the raw footages of altercations. The way Chandler sees it, McGregor will be coming up with his signature taunts and insults. Nevertheless, “Iron” Mike said he will not back down and will even try to “bring the worst” out of the UFC superstar.
“Can’t tell you what’s gonna happen what Connor’s gonna show up we’ve seen a couple different versions of Connor as well and I think Connor somewhat tailors his he tailors himself his personality and his ability and willingness to engage in those verbal altercations based upon his opponent so I could bring the worst out of him that we have ever seen or I could bring the more buttoned-up businessman Connor. We don’t know and I think one day you could get one, the next day you get the next… So, man I’m just excited about it,” Chandler said.
“I fear no man I see I don’t fear the verbal altercations I don’t fear the fact that he is so interesting there’s so many people because he is interested and he does his homework, he knows a lot about me… because he wants to use it against me so, now I’m just excited about it and there’s no doubt that there’s going to be some tension there’s gonna be some mouth little animosity, little gamesmanship, the game within the game, the competition. As far as I’m concerned we’re stepping into that Octagon later on this year but the competition starts now,” he added.
Chandler has been waiting for this moment as he strongly believed people have long been yearning for a fight between him and McGregor.
UFC president Dana White said the date and location of the season finale of TUF 31 – McGregor vs. Chandler is to be announced soon.
McGregor will be looking to snap his two-fight losing streak in his attempt to get another crack at UFC gold. On the other hand, Chandler will try and prove that he is capable of beating the biggest names in the UFC and also increase his chances of getting another shot at the lightweight belt.
