Michael Chandler will finally get to make his Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) debut when he takes on Dan Hooker in the co-main event of UFC 257 on Jan. 23, 2021 on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Of course, the main event will feature the return of Conor McGregor as he takes on Dustin Poirier in a rematch six years in the making. With a win over Hooker, it isn’t out of the realm of possibility to have Chandler take on the winner of Poirier vs McGregor, though everything is still up in the air pending Dana White’s meeting with current 155-pound champion, Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Still, Chander looks forward to one day mixing it up against McGregor, as he says he would be an absolute nightmare for the former UFC champ-champ.
“Of course I want that possible fight with Conor McGregor. Do I think I match up extremely well against Conor? Absolutely,” proclaimed Chandler during a recent interview with ESPN’s Brett Okamoto.
“With my wrestling background, plus the power in my hands, plus my ability to mix up my striking with the takedowns, plus my ability to push the pace; I think I am a nightmare for Conor. But I respect what Conor is doing. Conor is continuing to come into his own.”
Chandler is one of the most well-rounded fighters at 155 pounds and has proven to be able to dominate and win a fight on the ground and on the feet. Conor, meanwhile, has shown that he can be vulnerable once the fight hits the ground, meaning he would likely keep a fight against the former Bellator MMA champ standing as long as possible.
Of course, there are a lot of moving pieces at 155 pounds at the moment before the potential matchup goes down, but should something happen to Poirier to where he can’t make it to UFC 257, it’s safe to assume the promotion will likely slide Chandler into headlining duties against “Notorious.”