Conor McGregor has explained that Michael Chandler's fighting style and eagerness for a match-up is why he was chosen as the opponent for his long-awaited UFC comeback.
The Irishman hasn't fought since breaking his leg during a gruesome loss to Dustin Poirier in a trilogy bout in July 2021, and has been regularly called out by Chandler over the past year. But there has never been a particular aggression to his rival's shouts, meaning that their feud has an element of respect to it.
They will first compete as judges on season 31 of The Ultimate Fighter, which begins tonight, before stepping in the cage as opponents at the end of the year. And McGregor has explained that he is desperate to get consistency in his comeback after multiple years of injuries derailing his career.
"He's put on some exciting fights," McGregor told the official UFC YouTube channel in an interview released to promote the show. "He's eager, he's willing to fight, he's a gamer, you'd call him, and he's not a bad fighter either. So I'm happy with the opponent, I don't actually care.
"I accepted this show and it was me and Chandler, it doesn't bother me. What do I hope for in this world? I hope for 100 more fights, I hope for consistency, I hope for a run. I'ver had this on-off-on-off for the last while and I just want to get this nice consistency going and I'm hoping now when I come back that this is where it's at."
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McGregor and Chandler have been seen in clips to have had a few heated back-and-forth arguments throughout the show, with the Irishman notably pushing his rival in one advert. But he insists that for the most part the pair have had fun together as rival coaches, even declaring that he would do another season of the show.
"I'm having a bit of fun to be honest with you," he added. "I don't mind Michael at all, don't mind the team, the lads. There was a bit of hostility at one stage but for the most part it's been a lot of good fun and happy days, I'd do this again, I'd coach this non-stop to be honest.
"I like Las Vegas, I have a base out here, I've got a house out here and the kids are out here with me and Dee in school and everything so we like Las Vegas a lot."
