Michael Chandler believes he would be the perfect man to welcome Conor McGregor back to the Octagon.
Michael Chandler still has his sights set on a mega-fight with Conor McGregor and believes he would be the perfect fighter to welcome ‘The Notorious’ back to the UFC.
Chandler admits the idea of fighting McGregor — the biggest star in UFC history — is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that would he would remember for decades to come.
“I want that Conor fight just for the magnitude of the moment,” Chandler told MMA Fighting’s Damon Martin in a recent interview. “Stepping inside that octagon and doing something really monumental and fighting him in front of all the mixed martial arts eyeballs. I mean eyeballs across the whole entire world. You don’t get a bigger platform than fighting Conor McGregor.”
Chandler must first get past Tony Ferguson at UFC 274 and, if he succeeds, the former Bellator lightweight champion would love to throw down with McGregor for the Irishman’s rumored comeback in July.
“That’s what I would love to happen, if I don’t get the title shot, of course. But July [or] August would be great for me. I will go out there beat Tony in May, just have a little bit of time to recover, and then go right back in there for a July [or] August fight. The timing works out perfect,” Chandler said.
Chandler may find himself disappointed, though, as McGregor has previously stated that he has no intention of returning to 155 pounds upon his UFC comeback. The Dubliner instead plans to compete at welterweight and has called for a title fight versus Kamaru Usman later this year.
Chandler will take on Ferguson at the upcoming UFC 274 pay-per-view on May 7 at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona.