Despite road block after road black getting in the way, the eternal optimist in Michael Chandler still believes he will meet Conor McGregor inside the octagon, but that’s about the extent of his confidence level that the biggest fight of his career happens.
Ever since McGregor pulled out of their UFC 303 headliner because of a broken pinky toe on just four weeks’ notice, fans and pundits alike have pondered the future of the UFC’s biggest star and whether or not it includes a fight with Chandler, who now says he’s OK with the very real possibility that a McGregor showdown won’t ever come to fruition.
“I am an optimist by default, so I do believe the Conor fight will happen, but right now we are in a period where things are being talked about,” Chandler said in an interview with Lucky Block. “What date? Is it Conor? Is it pivoting to a different fight? Is it making the best decision for me and my family? I love the idea that Conor and I did ‘The Ultimate Fighter,’ we had a training camp, we signed on the dotted line. But as much as I respect Conor, my legacy is not hinged upon this fight.”
To that end, Chandler might have a point. After all, he was three-time Bellator lightweight champion while serving as the face of the promotion. And in the latter stage of his career, Chandler has made a splash in the UFC since his promotional debut in 2021, going 2-3 while solidifying a reputation as an all-action fighter. It’s why he landed a spot as a coach on “The Ultimate Fighter 31” opposite McGregor and presumably secured a fight with him.
But if the fight doesn’t happen, well, “so be it” appears to sum up where Chandler stands. He’s ready to move on if necessary.
“I am running my own race, and I’m continuing to move forward,” Chandler said. “I am at the point now where we are looking at all of the options and not just fighting Conor. Things move fast, and the phone could ring at any time. I don’t want to make it sound like I’m not focused on fighting Conor, but right now when no contract is signed, I’m excited to fight. I’m training every day, and I’m in the best shape that I have been in a very long time, and I’m ready to go out there whether it’s Conor or someone else. There’s always going to be life after Conor if this fight never comes to fruition. …
“I’ve always felt that if the Conor fight didn’t happen, I’m going to be just fine, and I will put butts in seats, and I will sell pay-per-views, and I will entertain the entire world when I step inside the octagon.”
Even though he feels at peace if the McGregor fight never happens, Chandler’s unquestioned hope is that it still does before the end of the year.
“December’s got me and Conor written all over it. That’s when we should fight,” Chandler said. “It’s enough time for him to have healed up and get back into a training camp. December makes a lot of sense. People love the violence that I bring to the octagon, and obviously Conor McGregor is the biggest name in combat sports, so this fight makes a ton of sense. It’s a great matchup. There’s a little bit of gamesmanship slash bad blood, but it’s overall respectful, and if Conor and I do fight, I will dispatch him and finally put an exclamation mark on this big saga that is Chandler vs. Conor.
“But we are fighting in the UFC, the biggest combat sports organization in the world by far, and they have a ton of moving parts. I definitely want to fight by the end of the year. That would be ideal. That’s always the hope. But, man, there’s a lot of options out there.”
