Urijah Faber believes Conor McGregor will beat Michael Chandler when they face off later this year.
The UFC legend thinks McGregor's power coupled with Chandler's propensity to take risks makes the Notorious favourite to win this contest.
While 'The California Kid' admits that he would have favoured a wrestler over a striker on most occasions, McGregor's ability on the feet makes him and his improvement as a grappler make him a bad matchup for the veteran Chandler.
READ MORE: Conor McGregor braves Irish sea as he visits popular Dublin swimming spot
“Traditionally in the past – you know, old-school MMA – I would have said the high-level wrestler’s always going to win," Faber told ESPN.
“But Conor, I feel, has closed those gaps a lot. I think Chandler takes a lot of big risks and likes to fight wild and aggressive, and I’ve seen many times where Conor’s power is just too much and his precision’s too much, and I think it’s going to be, in a five-round fight, leaning toward McGregor.”
McGregor and Chandler are coaches on the latest season of the Ultimate Fighter which begins airing next week. The Dubliner famously coached on the show before back in 2015 alongside Faber, who had advice for Chandler on how to deal with the Irishman's antics.
“Chandler and I are pretty different guys, and they’re going to have a much different relationship than Conor and I,” Faber said. “I would just say the same advice I’d give anybody: Be yourself and stand your ground and things will play out the way they do.
“I think they’re going to be heated. They are actually fighting and they’re going to have a lot of build up. When I spoke to Conor about this situation, he said this season is different because he was coming off of his first big payday and his first world championship (on Season 22).
"This time, he’s focused on making this his camp, so I think he’s going to be a little more on edge, to be honest.”
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