Currently stuck between a rock and a hard place amid his exit from a scheduled UFC 303 headliner, former lightweight title challenger, Michael Chandler has saluted the idea of a BMF championship fight with Max Holloway in his immediate future.
Chandler, the current number six ranked lightweight contender, was scheduled to take on former two-division champion, Conor McGregor next weekend at UFC 303 during International Fight Week – with the Dubliner forced from the pairing due to an undisclosed injury.
And subsequently removed from the June 29. card himself, Michael Chandler has confirmed he will attend the event as planned – at least from fighter row, with undisputed light heavyweight champion, Alex Pereira rematching Jiri Prochazka in a short-notice title defense on the same UFC 303 card.
Michael Chandler welcomes Max Holloway fight soon
Linked with a potential short-notice fight with recently-minted symbolic BMF titleholder on the card prior to Pereira’s booking against Prochazka – on social media tonight, Missouri veteran, Chandler appeared to be all ears to a clash with the Hawaiian sensation sooner than later.
— Michael Chandler (@MikeChandlerMMA) June 20, 2024
Sidelined for almost two years, Chandler, a former three-time Bellator MMA lightweight kingpin, dropped a submission loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 281 in Madison Square Garden, in his last fight under the banner of the promotion back in 2021.
With his immediate future unclear amid the exit of McGregor from their UFC 303 main event, promotional CEO, Dana White claimed that Chandler could fight as soon as he wanted and how the organization would accommodate him for his return opponent, however, claimed he still wanted to take on the ex-champion next.
Himself linked with a siege of the featherweight crown held by unbeaten Georgian finisher, Ilia Topuria, former titleholder, Holloway featured at UFC 300 back in April – slumping Justin Gaethje with a vicious, buzzer-beating KO to snatch the symbolic belt.
Would you like to see Michael Chandler fight Max Holloway in the future?