UFC
Conor McGregor: “I don’t think they want Chandler no more”
The Irish superstar said he’s ready to fight his opposing coach at the Ultimate Fighter 31, but thinks the UFC wants him to face someone else.
A the beginning of the Ultimate Fighter 31 (TUF), one of the main attractions was the idea of seeing both coaches, Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler, fight each other at the end of the series.
The Irishman came back to the MMA spotlight with his return to the UFC via the TV show after a long time out of the octagon trying to recover from surgery after breaking his leg in his rematch vs. Dustin Poirier in 2021.
After two straight losses to The Diamond, many believed McGregor had lost hunger and competitivity but the UFC legend said he was willing to fight again and accepted UFC president Dana White’s offer of taking part in TUF 31 and ultimately face Chandler inside the octagon.
McGregor vs Chandler not happening?
Since the former double UFC champ took part in TUF 31, he has been calling out many fighters, like Nate Diaz for a trilogy, and Justin Gaethje for the BMF belt.
Will he fight Chandler as was expected from the very beginning? It’s a mystery, but it wouldn’t be a surprise at all if the fight doesn’t happen.
The Irishman stated that the UFC may be looking for other opponents for his return. That would be an unusual move, as the idea of having two coaches competing in two different teams for weeks is for them to meet at the end of the show in a fight.
“I’ll do it if they want, no [problem]”, McGregor said in a tweet he later deleted.
“I don’t think they want him not more [though]. There are loads of juicy fights around and my return date is my return date. I never gave a f*** about who it was. Ever. I’ll fight anyone. I’ll even fly them to me, ask [Paulie Malignaggi]. Flown in and [beat] around”, he added.
After losing twice to Poirier, probably McGregor’s best bet would likely be a trilogy fight with Diaz in terms of a PPV event. Fans, though, would also like to see him fight Chandler in a full action-packed showdown.