Michael Chandler has predicted a second-round knockout win for his future fight against Conor McGregor.
On May 30, The Ultimate Fighter Season 31 will premiere with Chandler and McGregor coaching a combination of UFC veterans and upcoming prospects in the bantamweight and lightweight divisions. Similar to most seasons, ‘Iron’ and ‘The Notorious’ are expected to fight later this year after the season has fully aired.
During an interview with Brendan Schaub, Chandler revealed his plan and prediction for the highly-anticipated matchup by saying:
“Everybody knows what a typical Michael Chandler fight. I’m gonna put my foot on the gas, get in his face, put him on his back foot early, and try to knock him out. My mystic Mike prediction is that I knock him out in the second round. I beat him up pretty bad, wear him down in the first, making him second guess himself, and then, bam, hit him with a hard one in the second, and he goes does, and we jump on the cage, maybe a backflip, we will see.”
McGregor’s return to the Octagon has been long-awaited since his second consecutive loss against Dustin Poirier in July 2021. ‘The Notorious’ suffered a severe leg injury, which required surgery and a lengthy recovery.
Meanwhile, Chandler has stayed active since McGregor’s last fight. ‘Iron’ has fought three times in the last two years, winning one and losing two. The University of Missouri alum’s last Octagon appearance was in November 2022, when he lost an action-packed war against Poirier.
When are Michael Chandler and Conor McGregor expected to fight?
Conor McGregor removed himself from the USADA testing pool while recovering from his leg injury. The USADA policy requires every fighter to pass six months of random drug testing before being approved, making it unclear when McGregor will fight Michael Chandler.
McGregor has pursued an exemption from USADA’s policy, which was once granted to Brock Lesnar. Unfortunately, the drug testing agency seems to be standing their ground and denying him the opportunity. Nonetheless, ‘The Notorious’ and Chandler have maintained their expectation for a blockbuster UFC fight later this year.
