Conor McGregor has arguably crossed the line with his trash talk, but Michael Chandler doesn’t expect he would be a harsh target.
Chandler is set to face former interim lightweight champion Tony Ferguson at UFC 274 on May 7. Both fighters are looking to get back in the win column after recent losses.
Chandler has flirted with the idea of welcoming McGregor back to the Octagon for his anticipated return later this year. But it would more than likely have to take place at welterweight after McGregor stated that he was done competing at 155 pounds.
McGregor hasn’t fought since his nasty leg break at UFC 264. He has begun sparring, though, as shared on his social media ahead of his to-be-determined timetable for a return.
During a recent interview with MMA Fighting, Chandler explained why he feels any trash talk between himself and McGregor would be light-hearted and not over the line.
“Obviously, that’s one of the things you think about with Conor,” Chandler said. “I think that’s why guys have lost to Conor, not just because of Conor’s skill, but because of the magnitude of the moment, the build-up, the fight week, the trash talk, all of the energy you spend outside of just fighting Conor. My gut says I don’t think Conor’s going to stoop that low with me.
“I think what happens is it just progressively gets lower and lower and lower as you stack on insults and personal insults and personal digs. I’m obviously never going to personal with a fighter,” Chandler continued. “I wouldn’t see Conor would go too far with that. I think Conor would trash talk and build a fight, hype the fight, try to get in my head of course, but I’m very confident in my ability to withstand that. Not just withstand that but fire back in an intelligent manner.”
As Chandler alluded to, McGregor has faced criticism from some regarding his trash talk in leadups to recent fights with Dustin Poirier and Khabib Nurmagomedov. He invoked Poirier’s wife in his attempts at mental warfare ahead of UFC 264, while also making deeply personal attacks against Khabib before their title fight at UFC 229.
Chandler clearly wants a bout with McGregor, which would be another fan-friendly matchup after his wild war against Justin Gaethje at UFC 268. If he can defeat Ferguson at UFC 274, a fight with McGregor could be on the table.
Who do you want Conor McGregor to fight in his UFC return? Do you think Michael Chandler should be considered?
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