Islam Makhachev has claimed Michael Chandler deliberately lost his last UFC fight to earn a shot at Conor McGregor.
McGregor has not fought since July 2021 after breaking his leg in a trilogy clash with Dustin Poirier, but has since announced he will make his long-awaited return against Chandler this year. A date is yet to be confirmed for the pair to meet in the octagon, but they are already going head-to-head as part of the UFC's latest series of The Ultimate Fighter.
Chandler has had a mixed run of form going into the upcoming meeting, having brutally knocked out Tony Ferguson before being stopped by McGregor's most recent rival Poirier. And current 155lb champion Makhachev has suggested McGregor chose Chandler on the back of his recent losses as his title ambitions appeared to go up in smoke.
