When it comes to his long-awaited scrap with Conor McGregor, ‘Iron’ Michael Chandler is more focused on his strengths than the Irishman’s weaknesses. Specifically, the busted leg McGregor suffered in his trilogy fight with Dustin Poirier nearly three years ago.
On Saturday, June 29, Chandler and McGregor will finally step inside the Octagon, bringing an end to a build-up that dominated headlines for well over a year. It will be the former two-division titleholder’s first time competing since snapping his limb in the opening round against ‘The Diamond’ at UFC 264.
Coming back from an injury of that nature is no easy task — just ask Anderson Silva and Chris Weidman.
Fortunately, ‘Mystic Mac’ won’t have to worry about Michael Chandler intentionally targeting his surgically repaired tibia and fibula when they meet in ‘Sin City’ later this year.
“His ‘hurt leg’, if you would, going after it, it’s his back leg,” Chandler told The MMA Hour. “So me focusing on anything other than just being me and focusing on my strengths, which is always punches in bunches. Big punches, punches to the head, punches to the body, pick them up, put them down, kind of in your face, foot on the gas type of Michael Chandler style.
“It would be silly for me to think about anything more than that. Any time you can mess up a guy’s foundations, it’s good for you. Changes their movement, messes up the power in their punches, but I don’t see myself throwing a lot of leg kicks in this fight. So, haven’t really thought about it that much.”
Michael Chandler predicts an early night for Conor McGregor at UFC 303
As for how Chandler sees things playing out against Conor McGregor, the former Bellator MMA champion plans to make the Irishman feel as uncomfortable as possible in the first round before putting him away in the second stanza.
“My ‘Mystic Mike’ prediction is I finish him in the second round,” Chandler said on Instagram. “Get him on his heels in the first round, make him second-guess himself in the first round, make him realize, ‘Dang, I probably should have just stayed rich and stayed out of the fight game.’
“And I will start planting those seeds of doubts in the first round. By the end of the first round he will go back to his bench and go back to his corner huffing and puffing and realize that he’s about to meet his demise.”
Last competing in November 2022, Chandler carries a 2-3 record under the UFC banner, sporting wins over Dan Hooker and Tony Ferguson while facing a handful of losses against some of the lightweight division’s top dogs — Charles Oliveira, Justin Gaethje, and Dustin Poirier.
While it’s been nearly two years since Chandler’s last victory, McGregor will be seeking his first W since a 40-second shellacking of Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone at UFC 246 all the way back in 2020.
