Michael Chandler thinks Conor McGregor would tarnish his legacy if their fight doesn’t materalize.
Chandler (23-8 MMA, 2-3 UFC) and McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) are coming off multiple weeks of filming for “The Ultimate Fighter 31” which debuts May 30 on ESPN and ESPN+, with the conclusion of the season set for Aug. 15 after weekly episodes that air on Tuesdays.
The pair are expected to fight sometime after the conclusion of “TUF 31,” but with McGregor has still yet to re-enter the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) drug testing pool. Meanwhile. the Irishman is keeping busy, as he’s spent recent weeks stateside in attendance at the Gervonta Davis vs. Ryan Garcia boxing event, then showing up this past weekend at BFKC 41 in Colorado for a viral faceoff with Mike Perry in the ring.
There’s no timeline for his return, and at this point fight could either be seriously delayed or risk not happening at all. But Chandler is choosing to believe otherwise.
“I think he’s coming back,” Chandler told ESPN. “It sure would be a huge stain on his legacy, leading everybody down a road, making people think that he’s coming back, and then kind of chickening out at the very end and only doing it for the publicity. That, to me, screams insecurity, and he’s trying to stay relevant rather than seeing through your commitment.
“I could be very wrong about it, and if I am, I would be surprised and, quite frankly, disappointed, but also, I’m not going to sit here blowing up my manager, blowing up Dana (White) and Hunter (Campbell), just calling them all the time, ‘Hey, when are we getting something done?'”
USADA’s stipulation for a fighter in McGregor’s position who withdrew from the testing program previously is that he must enter the testing pool for at least six months prior to competing. McGregor hasn’t fought since breaking his leg in TKO loss to Dustin Poirier in July 2021, has since exited the testing pool.
McGregor recently said that he just needs two clean tests and he’d be eligible to fight, but USADA responded by saying that like everyone else, McGregor will have to be in the pool for six months, as well as provide clean tests. If an exception is made for McGregor, Chandler says he’d be OK with it.
“I could see it very well being just two clean tests,” Chandler said. “I have no problem with it being two clean tests. I could care less. If you do two clean tests, sounds to me like you’re clean. At this point, who am I to say what the stipulations are? I’m ready for him to be cleared or at least get that answer. At this point, we don’t have an answer.”
