- Michael Chandler pointed out a few reasons why he should face Conor McGregor next
- “Iron” predicted how a fight with “The Notorious” would play out
- The 36-year-old is certain the match will generate millions of PPV buys
Michael Chandler is coming off a huge submission loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 281. However, it didn’t affect his positive outlook as he’s now confident he’s getting a bigger fish despite the defeat. For “Iron,” it’s only fitting that he gets the UFC’s nod for a blockbuster showdown with Conor McGregor.
It’s the fight to make
Following Chandler’s epic KO win over Tony Ferguson at UFC 274, Dana White already pictured “Iron” taking on McGregor. With that in mind, Chandler, who has long been calling for a McGregor fight, is convinced all signs point to a clash with the former two-division champ, and it’s about time to rekindle that interest.
“Obviously Dana’s on board with it, I think the UFC’s on board with it – I do think Conor’s on board with it,” Chandler told MMA Junkie. “We’ve seen our interactions in the past. You’re not going to see me out here badmouthing him, mother-effing him, and tweeting him and all that stuff. That’s not my style. I’ve always been respectful of Conor. I’ve always said the sport of mixed martial arts is better when Conor is in it, so let me be the other guy on the other side of the octagon.”
Not worried about the USADA issues
While everything seems promising about McGregor’s long-awaited UFC return, “The Notorious” needs to straighten things out with USADA first. Whatever the conflict is between the parties involved, Chandler has no issues with it. He just wants to fight.
“Let’s be honest: I fought outside the UFC for most of my career,” Chandler began. “I’ve never once been worried about if a guy has been using anything whatsoever. I will say it’s just downright false that USADA – are people going to scrutinize things and look at things through a microscope and comb through it with a fine-tooth comb and say, ‘USADA could to this better, USADA could do that better’ – absolutely. But overall, we can be tested at any time, any place, anywhere. Our whereabouts are on our phones at all times. Is it a perfect system? No. Will it ever be perfect? Absolutely not. Do I have any concerns whatsoever, absolutely not.”
“Then also the guy comes back and he’s six months in the USADA testing pool getting tested six times, 12 times, five times, two times – it doesn’t matter. He’s in the pool for that amount of time, six months is half a year. It’s a long time. So, I have no concerns. I’m not that worried about it, honestly. I’ve wished Conor a speedy recovery from the beginning. It’s not like he sprained his ankle. It’s not like he broke his hand, it’s not like he broke his nose. The guy shattered his leg. So I hope he’s doing well on it, hopes he’s recovering well. He looks big, tanned and jacked and I would love to fight him at 170. Let’s do it,” he continued.
A slugfest right from the jump
Unlike some of McGregor’s past opponents, Chandler isn’t letting himself be overwhelmed by figuring out the best way to beat the Irish MMA superstar. In the 36-year-old’s head, he and McGregor like to be aggressive early in the fight, so that’s what people could expect.
“People think it’s going to be the fastest-paced, craziest first round of all time (and) I definitely think it will be,” Chandler predicted. “The way that Conor McGregor starts fights, the way I start fights – it’s a car crash in the middle of the octagon. Hopefully at T-Mobile Arena here in Vegas in July. It’s going to be huge, it’s going to be awesome and I believe it’s going to happen. Things are moving in the right direction, so let’s make it happen.”
It’s a money fight
McGregor’s fight against Khabib Nurmagomedov and Nate Diaz are still the two highest earning PPV events in UFC history. Confident about his stock, Chandler declares that him and McGregor would easily get past “1 million” PPV buys, especially if it happens in Las Vegas.
“Over a million? Yeah. We crush it. We blow past 1 million. Easily,” Chandler claimed. “You look at Conor’s numbers, he’s always doing over a million, it doesn’t matter if he’s fighting anybody. He could be fighting a cold and he’s doing over a million. You fight me? I think the most exciting guy in the UFC right now. Most momentum, must-watch TV. Can’t-miss pay-per-view, butts in seats. Hopefully, it’s here in Vegas, International Fight Week.”
“I don’t know when it’s going to be,” he continued. “But just the build up, the lead up and battlegrounds of epic proportions. I want to win the title, I want to be the No. 1 guy in the world, but I also want the brightest lights, the biggest stages, the biggest opportunities and the best opponents. And Conor McGregor is the biggest opponent that this sport may ever see, ever. We’ll see if it happens.”
Aside from being former champions, Chandler and McGregor are both coming off a devastating loss to Dustin Poirier. The two celebrated UFC stars are also hoping to get back to title contention sooner rather than later and that could be a possibility if the UFC approves Chandler’s proposal.
