Chael Sonnen isn’t buying Conor McGregor’s injury.
McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) was forced out of his return fight vs. Michael Chandler (23-8 MMA, 2-3 UFC) June 29 at UFC 303 due to an undisclosed injury.
Daniel Cormier thinks Chandler should just move on, but Sonnen doesn’t see too many lucrative options for the former title challenger.
“If I’m Michael Chandler, there’s a situation where I have to move on,” Sonnen said on “Good Guy/Bad Guy” alongside Daniel Cormier. “The difference with Chandler is there’s nobody to move on to. It’s not a matter of, ‘OK, I got this great option and I got this great option.’ Not really. Chandler’s a big star.
“People definitely want to see him fight but he doesn’t have anyone that remotely comes close to having the drama and the steam of Conor McGregor. So, I’ve been for Chandler moving on from the beginning. At this point, I say wait just a little bit longer.”
The bout is expected to be rebooked later in the year, but Sonnen doesn’t think it will materialize.
“Do we see this in 2024? Not a chance,” Sonnen said.
McGregor publicly voiced confidence in an eventual return. However, not only does Sonnen think McGregor won’t be back in 2024, he thinks some fibbing might be going on.
“McGregor’s not hurt,” Sonnen said. “I don’t know if we’re making TV or how much we’re supposed to play along. Conor McGregor is not injured and it’s a very tough spot when he has the people that are coming out speaking for him that have been filled in, and they all sworn to secrecy. They don’t want to cover because the truth always comes out.
“It’s a little bit of a tricky situation. I am disappointed. I don’t want to give Conor a hard time, and I am for the idea that health comes first. He’s known about this for well over a year. They were supposed to fight in June of last year. … Now we are here. There was USADA talk. He entered the pool. They were going to make a movie, back-and-forth, up and down. One thing that McGregor always does is what McGregor wants to do.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 303.
