Amid his continued absence from the Octagon in the last two years, having opened as a betting favorite to defeat former lightweight title challenger, Michael Chandler in his return to active competition, former two-division UFC champion, Conor McGregor has drifted as a bigger betting favorite to defeat the Missouri native next year.
McGregor, a former undisputed featherweight and lightweight champion under the banner of the organization, has been sidelined since he headlined UFC 264 back in July 2021, suffering a fractured left tibia and fibula in an opening round doctor’s stoppage TKO loss to common-foe, Dustin Poirier in the pair’s trilogy rubber match decider.
As for Chandler, the Kill Cliff FC staple has himself been sidelined since last year, dropping a third round submission loss to common-opponent, Poirier at Madison Square Garden in November of last year, in a rallying effort from the Lafayette striker.
Conor McGregor remains betting favorite to beat Michael Chandler next year
And serving as an opposing coach against Conor McGregor earlier this year on reality television show, The Ultimate Fighter 31 – Chandler, who opened as a betting underdog to defeat the Dubliner in an expected fight, is currently sat as a +102 betting underdog to beat the -122 betting favorite former championship holder.
Ahead of an expected welterweight fight between the two – potentially at UFC 300 next year in April, a host of table of sites that accept deposits and other casinos that use cash app are already taking action on Chandler’s fight with McGregor, in a proposed welterweight pairing in 2024.
Facing a two-fight losing skid for the first time in his professional mixed martial arts career, Conor McGregor, the first duel-weight champion holding titles simultaneously under the banner of the UFC – also suffered his first knockout loss in the sport as part of that losing run to boot.
Headlining a ‘Fight Island’ event against Poirier in January of that year, McGregor suffered his first knockout loss in mixed martial arts competition in his return from a year off from competition, courtesy of a second round barrage from the former at the Octagon fence in the pair’s lightweight title rematch.
Appearing in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia earlier this month to attend WBC heavyweight champion, Tyson Fury’s showdown against former UFC heavyweight champion, Francis Ngannou, Dublin striker, McGregor claimed that during his time away from the sport, he was being kept away from his livelihood, unfairly.
“I’ve been kept from my living for three years now, understand that,” Conor McGregor said. “I came through what I came through. I’m sitting on an injury and a loss – imagine what that does. You hear what Alexander Volkanovski said: I relate.”
“I must return to my way of living,” Conor McGregor explained. “This is my job, so it’s beyond frustrating. I just want the date. My date, please.”
Without a victory since he headlined a Janaury 2020 event in Las Vegas, Nevada against the retired recent Hall of Fame inductee, Donald Cerrone, McGregor turned in a spectacular 40-second knockout win over the Colorado native in a welterweight main event, in the form of a high-kick and follow-up strikes win.